Across the Desert
by 42 Riley
Summary: When rumors of a second witch surface and DG starts having dreams about one of her ancestors being possessed, she and her companions travel to IX, a land across the desert from the O.Z., to prevent a new evil from attacking the Outer Zone.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Though there are things I call my own, Tin Man, the stories of L. Frank Baum, and The Wizard of Oz are not among them.

Across the Desert

"So my mother was feisty when she was young?" DG asked Tutor during their latest magic lesson. Today was mind shielding day, and the past three hours of practice had built a headache strong enough to distort her vision. Opening her eyes after her latest attempt, DG faced a portrait of a beautiful redheaded ancestor who now looked like a wind-swept Chow Chow. Hmm. She felt a distraction was in order, and the focus of today's lesson left open a perfect window to innocently inquire about her still essentially blank past.

"She was a bit high spirited," her annoyed tutor answered dismissively. "Now concentrate DG. For a mind shield to be effective, it must be complete. One crack and an enemy can pry their way in. Try again."

She closed her eyes, concentrated, and managed a chicken-wire net. That might momentarily deter an infant viewer. Opening her eyes, she faced the red tide that was her ancestor, blinked, and saw a half-groomed Pomeranian instead. Distraction, she needed a distraction.

"Aham . . uh . . Dad said she almost blew your arm off once."

A half-grunt, half-growl came from Tutor's general direction. She thought he might be scowling, but it was hard to be certain without facial features to go by. "This is not story time DG; this is your lesson."

"Please Toto." He sighed in defeat. She really did want to know; it wasn't just to preserve what was left of her mind and vision.

Since the events of the eclipse seven months ago, she, her family, and her friends had devoted themselves to healing the O.Z. The queen was sequestered at Finaqua trying to rebuild the government. Az was, well, Az was dealing. She did wonderfully . . . as long as she didn't see or talk to anyone. Somehow the lack of contact with anyone she could possibly apologize to held back the guilt and nightmares, so she stored up strength and showed herself only occasionally to small groups of people and tried to convince them that they weren't looking at the sorceress. She'd only broken down in tears twice last month.

Glitch had gotten his brain back almost immediately, but the long separation, the sudden reconnection, or perhaps the time spent as Glitch had preserved her friend's personality though the glitching now occurred less frequently. She was glad. She liked Glitch and didn't really want to get reacquainted with Ambrose. As it was, she saw her friend very little these days. He was always in his lab in Central City deconstructing the sorceress' machines or inventing some of his own. He'd even let her help build a few. Raw had found them one day covered in grease utterly absorbed in the motor of Glitch's latest EGD, energy generation device, and had teased DG about glitching herself.

That had been the day he left with Kalm on a healing tour of the towns surrounding Central City. Though she knew he'd be coming back, his absence hurt. She had asked him why he needed to go when he'd already almost single-handedly healed the resistance fighters who had been injured in the fight with the witch. "Must go," he had replied, "people must know that healers choose to heal, want to heal, have power to heal. People must know viewers not tools of witch to cause pain. Kalm must know too." He was right of course, but she had still selfishly wished he would stay.

And Cain was being the most heroic of all, damn him. Jeb, thanks to his part in the fight and his popularity with the resistance fighters, had been made commander of the new royal guard. She knew the queen had considered the tin man for the job, but eight years, ugh annuals, in a metal suit had made him a stranger to the resistance. He wasn't unknown to the O.Z. though. Thanks to the wanted posters Zero and his troops had plastered across the country, she and her friends were undisputed heroes to all enemies of the witch. With Az needing solitude and the queen's busy schedule, that left her to tour the O.Z., cast lots of helpful spells, and cement in everyone's mind how great the Gale family was. She did this by hopping from town to town with Ahamo in his balloon (but only in towns where Cain and his group of soldiers had already removed the Longcoat threat). He'd taken charge of the task of re-educating, capturing, or if need be killing the remaining supporters of the witch, and the tin man refused to let her travel anywhere he hadn't already secured.

Continued close contact with her father was awkward. Occasionally Cain and his men would still be in the town DG and Ahamo arrived in, and she tried desperately not to seem clingy during those times. Like Glitch, their meetings occurred rarely, and Cain was one of the few people she felt completely comfortable around, sometimes a little too comfortable. He was her dearest friend and often a refuge from Ahamo.

Ahamo wasn't mean or accusing. However, he was touchy, kind, and loving, and that made it worse. Her mother had left her only the memories essential to finding the emerald, and none of them included her father. Consequently, while she could reconcile Lavender Eyes as her mother without wincing too much at the endearments "my angel" and "my darling", seeing Ahamo as her father was almost impossible, and there was nothing quite so ruinous to their bonding episodes as him reminiscing about a childhood memory she couldn't remember.

At the first town they visited, she and Ahamo had been guests at the mayor's house. They were eating dinner, and he was entertaining his host with one of his daughter's childhood adventures. "I told DG about a game Otherside boys liked to play. Tomboy that she was, she adapted it and decided to try it out. Called it Tin Men and Headcases. She was the tin man and had decided a poor, unsuspecting traveling Eastern Guildsman should be her prey. She chased that poor man all through the gardens, and when she caught him," he stopped here and began to laugh uncontrollably. Everyone else was laughing too. "Oh DG," he managed to say between laughs as he slung an arm around her shoulders, "you better finish. I don't think I can." And then they'd all turned to her. She didn't remember the ending; she didn't even remember the beginning!

Panicking, she had looked up at him, and his smile had dropped a fraction as his laughter died. He'd finished the story, finished it so expertly no one noticed that she hadn't, but her mind was roaring so loudly by that time that she'd missed hearing the ending herself.

Ahamo had continued to be companionable and affectionate since then, but he hadn't asked her to finish another story. He was almost a good enough actor to convince her that he didn't notice when she started calling him by his name before correcting herself. She hurt him. She hurt with every involuntary jerk she couldn't suppress when he hugged her and every blank stare she gave him at the mention of her childhood antics, and she felt miserable about it.

The day after the fiasco at the mayor's house, they'd moved to a new town where Cain and his men were still taking care of a few longcoats. She'd nearly run to the tin man, and she hoped no one noticed how desperate the greeting hug she gave him was. That night she'd told him what had happened. "That's ridiculous DG," he'd said, "you'd have been an awful tin man. Instead of arresting criminals, you'd hug them into reformation." God, she missed Cain. Dealing with Ahamo was easier, almost fun, with her tin man around, but he was so rarely _was_ around.

Therefore, she had resolved to ask Tutor about her past whenever they checked in at Finaqua. He knew her mind well; in fact, he loved to comment on the blankness of it. So while Tutor sucked at anecdotes, he was able to relay them without the accompanying awkwardness, and she'd nudge Ahamo playfully the next day and say, "Remember that time when you tried to teach Az and I to shoot, and Az almost made you the hunting trophy." Tutor's atrocious storytelling was worth it then because Ahamo would smile, and she could almost see him for an instant as her father.

She turned to Tutor; he seemed to be sitting or at least his form was lower to the ground. "So, my mother?"

"She was very adventurous in her youth."

"And this stopped when? After my father came?"

"No."

"And?" she prompted.

"It got worse."

Interesting. "Worse, how?"

Her tutor's form moved slightly closer to the ground as though he was shrugging. "The queen's consort met her immediately upon his arrival, and though he was already quite smitten with her, he decided to go exploring. She . . . decided to become his 'tour guide'."

"Wait," DG interrupted in shock. "My mother, the queen, went traipsing recklessly around the O.Z. with a carnie from the Otherside? Did she even have a protection detail?" Protection detail? Had she really just said that? Obviously she was spending too much time in Cain's company. Well, had been. Damn man and his devotion to restoring the O.Z. It was just so . . . decent and right, and that made feeling angry about his current absence absolutely shameful.

She steered her thoughts back to Toto's response. "No. She was rather confident in her magical abilities, and he was extremely confident about his ability to protect her. After they first disappeared, her personal guard nearly collapsed from worry."

She stared at him open-mouthed. She could believe Ahamo capable of something like that. The man had pretended to be a bounty-hunter in the Realm of the Unwanted and had even kidnapped his own daughter, but not her mother who never set one graceful foot out of place. It was inconceivable. After a moment, she amassed enough coherent thought to ask, "When did she change then?"

Silence.

"Please tell me Tutor."

He waited another moment and sighed. "The queen was pregnant with Azkadellia. Your father was off on a meeting with the guilds, and she snuck away to meet him. Most queens are confined for the majority of their pregnancy, and Queen Lavender Eyes' parents died when she was still young. They'd never been able to tell her the confinement was for her protection. Pregnancy disturbs the magic of Gale women; it weakens or blocks their power periodically. I believe the irregularity is caused by the reproduction and distribution of the power as the baby is growing in the womb." Toto paused a moment, "The queen was caught by a group of the Unwanted and was unable to defend herself. She was captured. Fortunately, Ahamo had befriended some men in that realm, and they told him about what had happened. He snuck into their camp, and he and the queen escaped. After their escape, they had their one and only fight. All of Finaqua heard it. He demanded she stop endangering herself and their child, but his outburst was unnecessary. The queen was already heartsick that she had placed her daughter in harm's way, and she stopped her adventures entirely."

DG ducked her head down. Her mother had already made one sacrifice to protect her daughters, and DG's recklessness had forced her to make another. It seemed foolhardy mistakes ran in the family. Suddenly she wanted desperately to be near her friends. Glitch was in Central City. He was out. Raw was . . . somewhere. Also out. She probably wouldn't see Cain for another month. Life sucked.

She mumbled a quick goodbye to Toto and walked to the door intending to stalk to her room and give her loneliness some alone time; it seemed to work well for Az. If she couldn't relieve her guilt with her friends then she could wallow in it by herself. However, as she entered the hallway she walked straight into Cain.

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Please leave a review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: In the first chapter I lied, I do own Tin Man and The Wizard of Oz. They're tucked inside my DVD collection; unfortunately, this does not mean I own the rights to either of them. If it did, I'd order the costume designers to make me a fedora. So, once more, I do not own Tin Man, The Wizard of Oz, or any of Baum's stories.

On to chapter 2

Except it was the wrong Cain. To her embarrassment, the realization only occurred after she had latched onto him. Though Jeb was hardly scrawny, he lacked his father's muscular tone. She turned slightly pink. It wasn't so much that hugging Jeb was either awkward or unusual; actually he let her get away with more hugs than his father. No, the embarrassment came from realizing that she could differentiate between the two of them by feel alone. She pulled back and looked up at him. She really had been overexerting herself. The fuzzy blob holding her might be any member of the Cain clan, and the only suggestion that it was Jeb was the yellow halo around his head. She blinked. The fuzzy blob grew fuzzier.

Jeb tightened his grip to steady her. "Hey DG. Attacking innocent bystanders with affection again?" He sounded amused and glad to see her, and the blob that was his face might have been smiling.

"Nah, I limit my assaults to bizarre-looking acquaintances." He pinched her arm in mock annoyance. She reached for the part of the blob that had the most potential to be an arm and felt her hand smack something cold and metallic instead. He was silent a moment most likely wearing a confused expression then mercifully she heard him turn and felt his arm wrap itself around hers. "Sorry," she said, "I've been performing great feats of eye-popping wonders and seem to be suffering from temporary blindness."

"At least it's only temporary unlike your other faults," he replied playfully. She swung her fist to punch his arm lightly and felt it connect with the side of his rib cage instead. There was an almost inaudible indrawn breath. She mumbled another apology. He started towing her down the hallway, "Alright, your royal rudeness, let's get you back to your room."

She smiled as they walked. She had a friend after all. As they walked on in silence, her brief happy moment faded.

She thought about the townspeople she had met and squirmed a little in Jeb's hold. It wasn't that people treated her badly, at least not very often. No one had accused her of causing the witch's rise to power; evidently that was a well-kept secret. Many people actually cheered her arrival, and even more cheered at her departure. It was amazing how much gratitude she could get by using her magic to rebuild houses and restore fields. It was undeserved gratitude though, and she was shamed by it. If she hadn't followed that voice, none of her acts of healing would have been necessary. They shouldn't be thanking her at all, and Jeb should be skewering her with his sword for robbing him of his childhood instead of guiding her back to her room. She'd even told him what she'd down, and the man had comforted her. It was messed up.

Well, this set of thoughts was depressing, so she thought about the queen and her consort. No, that was depressing too. She had had parents, but Mom and Popsicle were back in Milltown. Thanks to the witch's rewiring the majority of their memories of her were gone or altered. The queen had their memories restored as best as she could and had then sent them off without letting them say goodbye to DG.

This had caused a one-sided yelling match between mother and daughter especially when Lavender Eyes said it was 'for the best'. DG hadn't thought so then, but now she believed her mother was right. She was having trouble enough reacquainting herself with one set of parents. Doubling that task might kill her.

They must have stopped because she felt Jeb nudge her forward. "You okay DG?" Her first inclination had been right. He was the wrong Cain, which sucked because they were such good friends. After all, they had so much in common: a traumatic childhood, an awkward relationship with their fathers, the curious ability to find themselves in positions of authority, and an age bracket. If only either one of them could feel more than friendship for the other, it'd be perfect. But he was the wrong Cain, so even though he was playing substitute bodyguard and was most definitely a friend, he couldn't take his father's place. This was a bad line of thought; her track record for the day was plummeting.

"Yeah, fabulous," she muttered for a response. Jeb was still a friend, and she needed someone to talk to. "Ahamo comes back tomorrow, and we get to play another round of 'let's reminisce about a memory DG doesn't have'."

He laughed uncomfortably. "Well, at least you have amnesia as an excuse. Dad keeps trying to make up for lost time, but he still sees me as a child while trying real hard to treat me like a commanding officer."

She laughed. "We share a misfortune; three cheers for therapy-worthy relationships." She hugged his arm.

The blond blob that was her escort turned toward her. "Could you talk to Dad about the 'kid/sir' switch-off?" he asked imploringly.

This was one of the main reasons they were friends. Cain had a tendency to treat them both as children, but the tin man was more at ease (at least for him) around her. As a result, she'd become a sort of referee in their father/son bonding. Cain trusted Jeb with her safety when he wasn't around, and Jeb liked that. (He also reluctantly trusted Ahamo because even her tin man wasn't going to accuse the queen's consort of not being able to protect his own daughter especially after Ahamo had managed to kidnap her from him. That little incident still caused problems between the two men.) Jeb was also nearly her age. They could commiserate and complain (good-naturedly of course) about his father. Mostly though, her presence had a soothing effect on the two Cain men as if having a third party cut down some of the expectations.

"I'll talk to him, but he'll probably respond with something like, 'stop trying to be a family counselor, Princess'."

"Why would a family have a councilor? Is it a tradition on the Otherside to have an advisor for the family?"

"Not councilor, counselor. You know, someone who listens to people's problems and helps them resolve their differences."

"You mean like a Soother."

"Uh, sure."

As they neared her door, she saw a hazy figure pacing back and forth in front of it. "Princess Azkadellia," Jeb said in surprise. He sounded uncertain and a little tense, and his grip on her arm tightened subtly. Az had that effect on people, especially on former resistance fighters.

DG patted his arm. "Take the night off Commander," she said forcing her voice to be playful. "I bet you don't get much vacation time." She felt him relax.

"Night, Princess," he said to her and bowed awkwardly to Az before leaving.

"Hey Az," she waved to her sister and went to open the door. She got it on the fourth try and only scraped her knuckles on the wood twice. Az followed her in, and DG closed the door. "So," unfortunately they needed to trade un-pleasantries before they did anything; otherwise, things got and stayed uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry for killing you," Az began.

"It's okay. I'm sorry for letting you get possessed by an evil witch." Theirs was a guilt-ridden family.

"Actually, it's about the witch that I wanted to talk to you. I couldn't talk to Mother. It's alright when we're being affectionate, but even a slight mention of what happened makes me . . makes me . ."

"It's okay Az; I get it." She moved to hug her sister and felt Az twist a little in her embrace.

"Everyone says the witch possessed me. I suppose that's true. I mean I could hear her almost all the time, but mostly it was me controlling my body. It felt like I was wearing glasses that distorted everything: my perception of people, my sense of what was right, my memories. What I did felt right and intelligent at the time, most of the time. When it didn't or when I was scared or uncertain, she'd start whispering. She only took over my body completely when I refused to act or if she got really impatient." Even with her blurred vision, she could tell her sister was nervous. Her form was pacing again and shaking now.

"Az . . ."

"No, please let me finish. Ever since the eclipse, I've been trying to sleep during the day. There's safety in the light; it's only when I sleep at night that I hear her." She paused. "Just echoes, nothing more."

"What can I do?" DG asked as she reached for a hand. She caught it by luck and held on.

"Two things. I'm embarrassed about one and ashamed to ask the other." DG squeezed their hands, and the familiar light erupted. "You've always been the stronger one. Truthfully, our joined magic has always been more for my sake than yours."

"That's not true Az," DG stated adamantly.

"But it is Deeg. I wonder sometimes if the witch would have even been able to possess you. Anyway, I would like the safety that joint power brings. The light drives away the darkness."

"So you want me to stick to you like glue?"

Az's head seemed to be shaking from side to side. "Only when I sleep and only when you're here. I wouldn't ask you to stop healing the towns just to give me peace of mind. I can block the memories and the guilt while I'm awake, but my dreams are dangerous. They drive away sleep, and as I loose sleep, my resistance weakens." Az paused, "And I don't want our parents to know about this. I've caused them enough heartache."

"Sure Az," she replied as cheerfully as she could. DG wandered if her sister had ever stayed the night with her as a child to save her from imagined monsters or thunderstorms. Probably. She'd never had to drive away dream demons before, and she had the feeling the duty would transfer Az's insomnia to her. Az was worth it, and besides, her own dreams hadn't been all that pleasant anyway. It was a good night that didn't have her screwing the O.Z. over again with her stupidity.

She was right; spending the night with Az was nightmarish. Her sister woke several times screaming but settled as soon as their hands clasped. Consequently, DG decided to hold Az's hand the rest of the night. She drifted off after Az had managed to sleep an hour without nightmares then woke to her sister sweating and shrieking again. Their hands were still clasped. However, as soon as DG was fully awake and concentrating on her light again, her sister stilled, so she stayed conscious the rest of the night. She felt zombyish by morning, but Az looked loads better.

Once her sister was awake and dressed, DG left her room. Her vision was back at least, and the headache had dissipated. It was time for a nap, but Ahamo was waiting at her door.

"DG," he looked relieved at seeing her.

"Yeah?" she said hesitantly.

"I need to tell you a story about the second witch."

In general, I like to end chapters with a cliff hanger (or in this case a slight dangle). I like Jeb too and wish he had more screen time; however, I could never see DG with any one other than Cain. He, Glitch, and Raw will make their entrance soon.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Please leave a review.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: If I owned Tin Man, I'd be richer, and I would have discouraged the boob jiggling move to release the mobats. Eeew. I'd also have insisted on some overt romance. Sadly, none of this was or is possible because I own nothing.

DG stared at him a moment. "What do you mean second witch?!" she shouted throwing her arms up.

"Shhh," Ahamo said and pulled her into the room. He guided her towards a seat and sat down across from her. "One of the reasons your mother and I chose the Realm of the Unwanted as my hiding place was because I'd made some friends there. Some of them still bring me news. I've just received some."

"About the second witch?" she asked leaning forward and getting up. He pushed her back down.

"They weren't certain; it could be nothing. Now, I need to tell you three stories. Two are relatively well known; the last isn't."

"Ahamo, if there's even a chance that the second witch is loose, we don't have time for storytelling." She didn't try to correct her use of his name.

"DG," he warned. She settled down reluctantly. "I have to present it this way. When I said the last wasn't well known, I meant that even your mother and sister may not know it. I'd like you not to tell them, especially if it turns out to be nothing." What was she, the official secret keeper of the Gale family? Even Jeb confided in her about his latest love interests. "I know you've been through a lot DG, but you have a hell of a backbone. And you're the most powerful woman in the O.Z." This assertion about her abilities was beginning to annoy her. Everyone bought into it, and she was dreading the day she'd disappoint them.

She thought about Raw and imagined him soothing her. It worked a little. "What's the first story?"

He gave a relieved sigh. "It's about your namesake. In her day, there were dozens of witches, good and bad. The sorceress was one of the bad ones, and she had an older sister who was nearly as evil as she was. Well, this sister of hers decided she wanted to steal some laborers from the Otherside. She was the one who invented travel storms except she made a mistake with this one. It picked up Dorothy Gale instead. Actually, it picked up Dorothy's house with her and her dog inside and landed them on this witch. She was crushed, but since witches have a tendency to not stay dead, Dorothy along with a good witch and the then ruler of the O.Z. left the house where it had landed in the Eastern Guild and sealed the witch away underneath it."

"Did someone let her out?"

"Wait for the other stories, DG," he said half smiling and reaching for her hand. She pulled it and flinched at the hurt expression he gave her. Well, he shouldn't get touchy-feely when she was borderline pissed-off. "The first story continues on and tells of Dorothy's adventures, but the only important thing to know is that the witch was wearing silver slippers which amplified her power in the same way as the emerald. They passed to Dorothy when the witch died."

DG started. "She was wearing them when I went into the Gray Gale."

"Hmm," Ahamo said. "The slippers were lost. In some versions, they slipped off Dorothy's feet while she was crossing the Desert. In others, she buried them in the sand to prevent anyone from using them again and kept the other talisman, the emerald, hidden."

"The Desert? You mean the one that surrounds the O.Z.?"

"Yes. It was nearly impossible to cross on foot before; now it can only be crossed by air. It's quite an effective protection from invaders."

"So the second witch isn't alive and passing out pain?" she asked hopefully.

Ahamo sighed. "It's uncertain. The second story is about a very brilliant man called Dr. Pipt. He makes the Mystic Man look like an imbecile. He was reportedly obsessed with the witches and their powers, and by his time, most of the powerful witches had been killed or had disappeared. As a result, he devoted his research to reviving the witch that Dorothy's house fell on. As you know, her sister was sealed away, and at that time, a guard was constantly on watch at the cave. The other witch though didn't seem to pose a threat, so her grave was left alone. It's thought that Pipt found a way to revive her. Some think he did, but she never attacked the O.Z. And Pipt disappeared. People rejoiced at that since his research had been making them nervous. Not a very exciting story, is it?"

"Well," she said lamely, "any story that doesn't end with a takeover by an evil witch is a good story."

Ahamo couldn't quite manage a laugh. "I've just heard the last story. The same year that Pipt disappeared, Dorothy's favorite granddaughter ran away. The two events seemed unrelated, so no one connected them." He paused. Not good, so not good. "Her name was Susan. She was in love with Pipt, but he rejected her attentions and treated her like a foolish child. He did in fact find a way to revive the witch, but it required the life of a Gale woman with power. He used Susan."

I took the names for Susan, IX, and Pipt from the Oz stories, but I didn't really base them on Baum's creations. I really wanted to write about a second witch and explore the background of the sorceress. She says repeatedly in the series that she'd tried to bring darkness before and had failed. Well, this story is my take on that previous attempt and the repercussions it has for DG and her friends.

Reviews would be lovely, and I don't even mind flames. I could toast marshmallows with them, and they're so much safer than forest fires.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing of an Ozian or O.Z.inian nature.

The dreams begin.

DG just stared. Her mind wouldn't work. There was a thought there waiting to break like a tidal wave, but the thought hadn't crashed into existence yet. Ahamo continued. "The witch took possession of her body. Nobody knew, and the witch didn't attack the O.Z. Instead, she and Pipt crossed the desert and vanished. They were never seen again. Until now . . . maybe. My friend has a balloon too, and he used to be a scholar. He saw a couple that fit their description in IX, the Interior Exterior land which lies on the coast of the Circle Sea."

"We have to stop them!" She was standing now. The thought had crashed. There was someone else like Az, and it hadn't been fear that had led to Susan's possession. He'd done it deliberately. Deliberately! For the first time in her life, she wanted someone's death. Was this how Cain felt about Zero?

"DG!" Ahamo's hands were on her arms. He was shaking her; he looked terrified. Had he been calling her name long? When she sank back into her seat, he kept his hold on her and kneeled in front of her. He still looked worried.

"I can see why you don't want Mother and Az to know about this," she got a weak, and she feared creepy, smile onto her face.

He answered with a similar smile, "Yeah. DG, the sighting was tentative. My friend recently discovered some letters between Dorothy and a friend of hers. He pieced the story together and went to investigate. His obsession in looking for information may have led to a false sighting. It's been over four hundred annuals; even Gale women can't live that long. The witch didn't attack; she didn't even surface when the sorceress was in power. It's probably nothing. But you needed to know in case something should need to be done."

She didn't answer at first. He had said, 'you needed to know'. Even though he told her because he thought she was powerful, he'd chosen to tell her. Impossibly, it made her feel better. "Thanks Dad."

He gave her a genuine smile. Minus the mutton chops he had a fantastic smile; it covered his whole face. "Get some sleep, DG, we've got more towns to heal in the morning."

She slept fitfully after her talk with Ahamo and again in the balloon the next day. The night with Az had been another sleepless one. At one point Ahamo had entered her dreams, and his mutton chops had spread across his face and down his body until he became a clothed Ahamo-sheep which had multiplied itself. They took terms jumping a lone bit of fence while baaing, "One, two, three, . . ." until the count reached fifteen, and she woke up severely disturbed. She hadn't been able to meet his eyes since.

Healing the village provided an effective and tiring distraction, so just after the second sun set, she passed out on her bed before the celebratory dinner had even started.

_ She was in a well lit, tidy room, but the walls were dark earth. Books lined the shelves, and various tools and instruments were set up purposefully. There was a table at the far end of the room, and there was something on it covered in a grey sheet. She was standing in front of a man, older than a youth but not yet middle aged. He wasn't handsome, but his face had appeal. He looked scared._

_ She was talking to him. "It's alright. Airek, it's alright. I don't mind." She was trying to touch him. He pushed her hands away._

"_Susan, no. You have to get out, now!" He tried to turn her around. No, she wouldn't let him. This was all he'd ever dreamed about, and she was going to make it possible for him to have it._

_ The figure on the table moved. The sheet fell on empty air. There was a shadow on the ground moving towards them then it was in front of her filling her vision. Someone was yelling her name. She could see its face. Those eyes! Those teeth! Its hands grabbed her face and leaned into her. She felt it pouring into her. Airek! Everything was cold, sharp, black. She couldn't scream._

DG woke up. She was sitting up in her bed shaking with her arms wrapped around Cain. Her head was on his shoulder gasping violently, but she recognized him by feel. At the end of the bed stood Raw and Glitch staring at her with matching expressions of surprise and worry. In her arms, Cain was tense and still. It was as if his body had turned to iron, and fear was radiating off him. She heard a heart pounding. It might have been his; it could be hers. She was still clutching him hard enough to leave bruises.

"DG," Cain said softly moving his hand up her back. She stilled completely; even her breathing stopped. His grip tightened, and his hand began to rub up and down slowly. "It's okay DG." Her body slowly began to relax. "What happened?"

Raw answered for her. "DG had nightmare. Nightmare of another. Raw couldn't see; just felt pain and fear. So much pain and fear." Cain pulled her even closer too him.

Glitch moved to the side of the bed. "Doll, what happened? I was in my lab and then suddenly I was here. You were whiter than snow."

"I was in camp talking with my men, and then suddenly you had a vice-grip on me here. Sweetheart, what'd you dream about that's got you this scared?" Cain said, his lips next to her ear. She shivered.

Still at the end of the bed, Raw explained, "Was with Kalm. DG called and then Raw here. Kalm left alone."

Oh God, she thought, her magic had brought them here. Kalm, Glitch's assistants, Cain's men! They'd be panicking now. Her arms closed on air. She was alone in her room again, and she didn't dare go back to sleep.

May you never have an Ahamo-sheep dream.

I actually have the story finished, so the time between updates won't be long. I just want to double and triple check the chapters. Hopefully I've killed most of the mistakes.

Anyway, please review. And enjoy.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: This disclaimer holds true for the rest of the story. I do not own Tin Man, Frank Baum's creations, or The Wizard of Oz. Never have and probably never will. The new characters are my creations though, so please don't take them.

Hope you've enjoyed the story so far, and I'm happy to announce that you'll meet Assun very soon.

* * *

An hour before sunrise, there was a pounding on her door. It was Glitch. "Doll!" he hugged her when she opened the door and didn't let go. She didn't want him to.

"How'd you get here?" she mumbled into his chest.

"Travel storm. Azakadee was up," (Why was Az in Central City? a small part of her brain wondered then let the thought go) "and I told her I needed your help on my G.S.P.D., Good Sustenance Production Device. It replicates what you did with the fields of the Papay. The fields of the Papay. The fields of the Papay."

"Glitch," she hugged him tighter. His glitching was wonderfully familiar. It helped almost as much as the hug.

"Right. What's up, Doll?"

"Ambrose?!" Ahamo had seen them. "I thought you were still at your lab."

Glitch repeated the story he had given Az. "Thought I'd spend a day or two with you since I'm here. Breathe the fresh air; eat some fresh food." Ahamo nodded grinning then noticed she was still hugging the advisor for dear life. She could see a conclusion surfacing which looked dangerously like the right one.

She let go of Glitch and decided on a half truth. "I've been staying up with Az lately. Her dreams are tough, and Glitch is providing moral support." Ahamo relaxed and hugged her; she returned it after a moment. When he let her go and left, Glitch turned to her and asked.

"Is that the real reason? Azkadee's dreams?"

"No," she answered looking away. They agreed to put off the discussion until that evening.

It didn't surprise her that Cain was there by the first sunset. He'd marched into town and headed directly for her. She was restoring the last field and saw him stride purposely toward her. Seeing him the men in the field whispered to one another and left. There'd be a rumor all over town by morning. "DG," he ground out as he approached. He was exhausted; she could see him forcing his body to stay straight. Guilt sliced through her abdomen. It would have taken all day at a mad pace to reach her from his camp. He'd looked as if he'd left the second she'd returned him.

She couldn't think of what to say, so she explained quickly, "Glitch arrived here this morning. He talked Az into calling up a travel storm. Raw's probably on his way. I think my magic brought you guys instinctively. I didn't mean to worry you."

He'd stopped in front of her and was staring analytically at her. It made her nervous. He was in interrogation mode. With no sleep, the exhaustion of a full day's heavy magic use, and the lingering memories of the dream, she wasn't up to being interrogated. "Cain, could we do this sitting down? I don't think my feet are going to cooperate much longer." His expression softened slightly, and he stepped aside. She walked past him, and he fell into step beside her on her walk back to the town. Glitch had at least hugged her first.

When they entered the house where she and Ahamo were staying, she found her father talking with the advisor. The two men looked up as they walked through the door, and Ahamo's eyes latched onto Cain then shifted to DG and Glitch. The man wasn't stupid. His eyes narrowed. Cain wasn't stupid either. He'd seen Ahamo's reaction, and she could feel his eyes boring into the side of her face. She kept looking forward focusing on a point halfway between Ahamo and Glitch.

"Are we saving explanations till the furball gets here?" Cain asked.


	6. Chapter 6

Out of curiosity, does anyone know Wyatt and Jeb's exact ages? Before the witch sucked the life out of the general, he said DG was 20. Her younger self looked older than 5 though. Oh well. I've been picturing the tin man in the 38-42 range and Jeb as 16-18. Is this right?

Thank for reading.

* * *

They did wait for Raw. He and Kalm arrived just before midday the day after Cain and Glitch had arrived. During the waiting period, she'd studiously avoided all three men. Cain's glare was beginning to spark her temper, and she had neither the energy nor time for a fight with him. Glitch had contented himself to playing town mechanic much to the annoyance of the town mechanic who threatened to beat him with a wrench after being upstaged for seven straight hours. Ahamo buried himself in diplomacy, and Cain did likewise in defense. Luckily, neither Cain nor her father were insisting on playing bodyguard. Ahamo had kept a diligent eye on her during their travels, but he gave the appearance of being laid back. Cain though was an intense and ever present watchdog. She overheard the two men arguing over her safety the night of Cain's arrival, and their apparent solution was to make sure she was never alone. DG was certain every adult in town had been recruited for this task, and the gossip was free flowing about how very protective the ex tin man was of his princess.

The two viewers arrived in time for lunch which she, Ahamo, and her friends had in private conference. She got in one bite before Ahamo spoke.

"DG, what's this about?"

Glitch added his own question, "What did Raw mean it wasn't your nightmare? Wasn't your nightmare. Wasn't," Cain punched his arm.

"The viewer just got here," Ahamo said surprised then seemed to realize the other men knew more than he did despite having just arrived.

DG sighed. "The night before last I had a dream about the story you told me. It felt like I was Susan except Pipt was trying get rid of her instead of sacrificing her."

"Who's Susan?" Cain asked. Simple and direct. She had to give the man points. She looked at Ahamo who shrugged.

"You all know that Dorothy Gale was the first slipper and my ancestor. Evidently she killed the sorceress' sister by a freak accident when she arrived in the O.Z., and I guess she sealed away the sorceress." Ahamo nodded in confirmation. "She had a granddaughter named Susan who fell head over heels for this super smart mad doctor named Pipt who was trying to resurrect the witch Dorothy had killed in order to steal her powers. Aham . . uh . . Dad's informant told him the doctor sacrificed Susan to get the witch's power and then he high-tailed it out of the O.Z." She paused. How to explain?

"In my dream, I was Susan. I kept assuring a man named Airek who had to be Pipt that _it_ was alright, but he kept trying to force me to leave. The man seemed terrified that I was there. Then all of sudden this thing that was on a table in his lab jumps up and . . . merges with me. I think Pipt was screaming my name, and I woke up as it was happening."

Comprehension was donning on at least three men at that table. Ahamo still looked confused; his glance kept shifting between her and her friends. "How did you all know about the dream?" he asked carefully.

"I, uh, must have transported them to my room subconsciously when the dream frightened me." Ahamo went from sitting to standing without transition. There was a pause before his chair completed a summersault behind him. He was outraged, though by the confusion still on his face he hadn't decided yet what to be outraged about. She spoke up in an attempt to diffuse the situation, "When I realized that I'd scared their companions by making them disappear, I think my unconsciousness returned them."

"So we could be scared instead," Cain said joining Ahamo in his vertical anger. "I half expected to find you dead, and my men thought I was insane for leaving alone three hours before dawn."

"Yeah, well I didn't ask you to come." Her temper was sparking. She could stand up vehemently too.

"DG, calm. Tin Man just very worried. Masks with anger," Raw explained trying to mediate. The tin man's ears turned pink. He sat down. After a moment, she and Ahamo sat too. "DG's friends worried. Found themselves suddenly with DG. DG very frightened. Friends not know how to comfort. Then sent away. Felt helpless. Felt afraid."

Her head went down. She felt like sobbing. "Sorry guys."

"Calm down Kid. We just want to help you." Cain's hand was on her arm; his thumb was rubbing small circles. It felt wonderful, but she kept her head down.

"You know DG," Glitch said after a moment, "the last time you had nightmares they were really memories. Could this be the same thing?" She didn't tell him about the dreams after the eclipse or the Ahamo sheep. It could just be her subconscious trying to lessen her anger with Pipt by merging what she knew of the story with her memories of Az's possession. But then she remembered Pipt's face and the witch's. Besides, she had smelled the lamps, the books, and the dirt walls. Glitch was right; it had to be a memory.

She looked up. Ahamo was tapping the table thoughtfully. "All the records about that time make it clear that Dorothy disliked Pipt, perhaps even hated him long before her granddaughter vanished. She knew about Susan's infatuation with him. When he disappeared, Dorothy might have assumed the worst and treated it as fact."

"You said Pipt and the witch were seen leaving together," DG corrected.

"Yes, or at least the letter said a border guard reported seeing Pipt and Susan, or whoever was in her body, running across the Desert."

"That's impossible," Glitch stated all Ambrose for a moment, "no one can cross the Desert on foot. They'd turn to dust within a day from dehydration."

"Nevertheless the guard was very certain. He had to be since he was trying to tell Dorothy that the man she hated had just walked out of the O.Z. with her favorite granddaughter." They were silent at that thought. Had her mother felt like that seeing Az and knowing it was the witch?

"Why would you be having these dreams, Princess?" Cain asked.

"I don't know," DG said miserably. "There was a possible sighting of them, but Dad's right. Witches aren't immortal; she'd be dead."

"Her descendants wouldn't be," Glitch added helpfully smiling. They all stared at him. Seeing their faces, he asked in confusion, "What?"

"It'd be the perfect time to attack the O.Z." Ahamo said.

"To avenge her sister's death," DG added.

"While the O.Z.'s still in disarray from what the first witch did to it," Cain finished. Five people stood up.

DG felt a tug at her sleeve. It was Kalm. She'd forgotten he was here. "Raw said DG's memories key last time to defeating sorceress. Maybe other princess's memories key to defeating this one. Maybe memories will say this witch isn't problem."

"Not if the other memories are like the last one. She was paler than death; it's too dangerous," Cain said through gritted teeth.

"You can't stop memories, Mister Cain," Ahamo answered.

"I don't know about that," DG said. She winced, so did Ahamo. That had been tactless. "Anyway, memories or not, the best way to know whether we should prep for another fight is to go to IX. That's where the sighting was."

"That's across the impassible Desert, Doll," Glitch added.

She smiled mischievously at Ahamo. Every man at the table groaned; they knew her too well. "Hey Dad, can we borrow your balloon?"


	7. Chapter 7

Alright, this chapter is one of the reasons the story has an M rating. It's not terribly graphic, but you have been warned.

* * *

After a great deal of convincing, Ahamo let them go. They had three weeks before he and DG were supposed to check back in at Finaqua. Emphasis had been placed on returning early. It had been decided that Kalm would stay with him and help. Ahamo hadn't been happy at being left behind; neither had Kalm. If anyone asked, she and her friends were returning the emerald to its hiding place. It was a plausible excuse. After the eclipse, Az had thrown it off. The queen insisted it be hidden, and that as its finder and true owner, DG should be the one to re-hide it. Since she didn't remember enough about the O.Z. to hide it somewhere safe, she wore it as a necklace. It hung there warm, oddly comforting, and useful as a battery to stretch her restoration powers a little further. They were set to leave in the morning.

She sat awake awhile staring at the opposite wall. She didn't want to chance another dream. Ahamo, Kalm, and her friends had spent the night making her laugh. Even Cain tried to be funny; the attempt was hilarious in its failure. The laughter was supposed to be a shield, so she concentrated on it as exhaustion pulled her under.

_"Susan?!" she was in a cottage. Outside it was twilight. She'd surprised Airek; that made her happy. Surprising Airek was difficult; he expected nearly everything. When Grams had told her he'd left, she'd cried all night, but she'd found him hiding out here with all his books. How like Airek. It was good to see him; if only he could be happy to see her underneath that shock. "Susan, you shouldn't be here. It's dangerous." He was trying to push her out the door._

_She faced him and pushed down the fear and sadness. "I shouldn't be here because it leads Grams' guards to you after she told you to leave the O.Z.?" He was surprised again. She paid attention, but people never could get over the thought that she was naïve. And for Airek, bothersome and incorrigible. Oh well. She couldn't force him to think better of her, but she could help him. Sorry Grams. "Or I shouldn't be here because the witch will suck up my soul and steal my body?" Three times surprised; it was a record._

_"All your life, you've dreamed of having this power, and now all you need is the life of a Gale. But you're not a murderer; even at your worse, you couldn't be. There go your dreams, Airek." She stepped toward him. "I'm going to give them back to you. You don't have to murder anyone; I'll sacrifice myself."_

_"Susan!" He was horrified._

_"You aren't going to let her rip apart the O.Z., so it's alright. There are other Gales. You can control her; I know you can. It's one less threat to the O.Z. So you see, it's alright." She walked forward until their bodies were almost touching, stood on the tips of her toes, and gave him a feather-light kiss on the cheek. "It's alright."_

_"Susan!" The witch was devouring her, but she could still faintly hear Airek calling to her. It's alright, she said to herself through the fear, the cold, and the darkness. It's going to be alright; it has to be._

_It was hot and humid. The light turned rose as it passed through the curtains. The taste of ocean and fish was in the air. She was in a bed, and Airek was lying next to her stroking her cheek and wearing only his pants. "Susan," his voice was husky and affectionate. She reached out an arm and pulled him to her. She kissed him. His mouth was eager and familiar. He shifted his weight, straddled her, kissed her again. Her left arm hooked itself around his neck. She needed to be closer. With her right hand, she tugged his pants open, tugged them down. He grinned against her lips. It was still new to see him grin, to see him laugh. Her stomach fluttered in response. "Always so hasty," he whispered. She shivered. "Don't be. I'm not leaving." He pulled up her nightgown to the waist and let a little of his weight fall into her. She wrapped her legs around his thighs._

_"Promise?" she murmured breathily eyes closed. She felt wonderful and right at the threshold._

_"Never again, I promise," he murmured back and leaned completely into her. She gasped. One arm was beside her head bracing him up, but the rest of his body was rocking, rocking with hers. She felt impossibly excited, impossibly safe, and impossibly happy. They came together, and he collapsed beside her. She kissed him again._

She was still kissing him. She felt her tongue brush the roof of his mouth and let it dive back down to wrestle with his tongue. Her legs too were still hooked around him pulling him against her creating a wonderful friction. The air was a little cold, but his body was deliciously warm. One of his arms was wrapped around her; the other was on her shoulder pushing her half-heartedly back, but it kept tensing and pulling her back towards him. She let her fingers comb through his short hair and then wrap around his neck to pull him further down; the side of her hand brushed against his collar.

Something was wrong. It was dark. They weren't by an ocean, and they were clothed. DG's eyes shot open. A little moonlight filtered in around the closed curtains. Going absolutely still, she remembered who she was and realized who she was with.

She looked into a pair of startling blues eyes so full of emotion they suffocated her. Lust was fading in them but still prominent. Shock, confusion, and hurt were surfacing, and disappearing were a trio of joys: a peaceful happiness, an ecstatic eagerness, and something she wasn't bold enough to name yet. In her first dream, she had been afraid, so she had summoned guardians. The second, though, had been about love, so she had summoned a love. She didn't need to check to see if Glitch and Raw were there; she knew they wouldn't be.

He hadn't moved, and she was still wrapped around him. There had been dreams like this before, but in this one neither she nor Cain had been participants. They'd been acting out someone else's memory, and that made it shameful. She hadn't been making love to Cain; Susan had been making love to Airek. She let her legs fall as well as her arm, and she pulled away. He let her.

She wanted to jump off the bed and run, so she forced herself to sit on the edge of the bed instead. She felt the bed sink and shift as he moved to sit on the opposite edge. They were silent a moment before she heard Cain's voice, strained and strange, break the silence, "You had another dream?"

Her voice wasn't working properly. Yes, but I still want . . . oh God . . . so much. "Yes," it was so quiet she'd doubted he'd heard.

"About the doctor and Susan?"

Only this time. "Yes."

"I'm glad it wasn't a nightmare," his voice was flat and empty. "Goodnight, Princess." He walked to the door.

"Goodnight Cain," she whispered back. He shut the door behind him. She waited a few moments then curled up and wept.

* * *

Tehe. I couldn't resist throwing the two of them into at least one awkward setting. It's a temporary evil streak, and I'll make it up to them later. And poor DG has not seen the last of her torture. Sorry.

There was something else . . .

Oh yes, please leave a review.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks so much for the reviews and for answering my questions about the Cains' ages. You all are fantastic. I'm glad people like the story. Happily, all of it should be posted by Friday at the latest. Unhappily, I still don't own Tin Man.

I was told once that all human eyes have the same color pigment, and whether you get brown, green, or blue eyes is dependent on the amount of pigment. This explains why people can have what the Norwegian's call 'iridescent' eyes that are hazel-blue, sea green, etc. So people like Neal McDonough and Donald O'Conner who have the super blue eyes are rare because that level of pigment doesn't occur very often. I have to say I'm a fan of the ice blue rarity.

Anyway, on to the chapter.

* * *

When DG left her room the next morning, Cain, Glitch, and Raw were sitting with Ahamo in the main room. They all said good morning to her; Cain addressed his to the far wall. She sat beside Raw and turned to Ahamo. Glitch was giving him instructions on how to use the G.S.P.D.; it was meant to fill in DG's restoration role. She grimaced about the idea of being replaced by a machine. Though she still loved mechanical things, learning her parents were robots and not really her parents had dampened her enthusiasm. As she listened to Glitch talk, she imagined a conversation with Cain.

'Sorry for trying to jump you last night,' she began, 'I needed a partner for role-playing one of my dead ancestor's memories. I thought of you immediately; it's flattering though if you think about it. And after all, you're the hero of all my other erotic dreams.' At this point, he pulled out his six shooter and shot her. He did this with his left hand, so his wedding ring glinted at her for emphasis and hit the point home. Ha ha, excuse the pun.

"DG?" Ahamo was looking at her as one does a newly checked in and therefore still unpredictable psychiatric patient. Her mouth hurt from smiling; it didn't feel like a pretty smile. Her teeth were clenched shut. Blushing slightly, she made her mouth relax and cleared her throat.

"Must have spaced out," she said and stood up. She walked out of the room and felt four pairs of eyes follow her. Well, after everything that she'd done and experienced, maybe she was going crazy. Insanity might even bring bliss.

They were ready to depart less than two hours later. The whole town came to wave good bye, and it made their departure a public affair. She wondered if Ahamo would have acted differently if it wasn't.

He said a formal goodbye to her three friends. When he got to her, he wrapped one arm about her shoulders and drew her to him. Into her hair he whispered, "Take care, DG," then kissed her and let her go. As Glitch helped her into the balloon, she watched him take a step back and stand next to Kalm. The young viewer looked miserable standing there with his eyes locked on Raw. Her stomach clenched. Ahamo had a smile on his face now, the big kind that only carnies and politicians could get right. He could be feeling anything underneath that. Her stomach tightened further. They rose.

It took a day and a half to reach the Desert and would take two more to cross it. They would have a little less than two weeks to find out about Pipt, Susan, and the witch before they would need to be home. "If you can't find them by then, we don't need to worry about them yet," Ahamo had said.

They were eerily silent the first day. It made her uneasy, so she thought she might as well share the unease and push her thoughts out onto the floor, or basket of the balloon as the case may be.

"I had another dream last night," she announced. She saw Cain's whole body lock up. Raw looked back and forth between them. "It didn't make sense. There were three parts. In the first, I or rather Susan was offering to sacrifice herself except she didn't seem like a naïve little girl who was blinded by love. She knew exactly what the sacrifice meant; she even seemed sure that Pipt could control the witch." She paused remembering the dream. Cain and Glitch had been standing since take off, but the tin man sat now. Glitch remained standing to control the balloon.

"It's weird. The more I dream in her perspective the more deeply I see into her mind. She was brilliant; she knew more about the history and legends of the O.Z. than even the queen and Ahamo." Cain raised an eyebrow at the way she described her parents. "She thought Pipt would use the witch's powers for good. The second part of the dream was the same as my first nightmare except I felt almost calm at the end of it. I think Pipt may have done something, yet the possession didn't stop." Raw put a furry hand on her knee. She placed her own on top of his and squeezed.

"DG scared."

"Yeah but not as bad as the last time," she smiled at him then continued, "but it was the last part that confused me." Across from her, Cain's knuckles were white from fisting them in his pants. "I'm certain the memory took place after the possession, but I didn't feel trapped or controlled. It wasn't anything like what Az described." Sorry Az, she added silently for the slight breach in secrecy. "I felt happy. And Pipt called me Susan, yet he treated me with affection and not annoyance or fear." Cain relaxed; he let out a slow breath. Did the man really think she was going to admit, in detail, what had happened?

"Maybe the doctor found a way to reverse the possession," Glitch suggested looking thoughtful.

"But I could feel power, and it wasn't . . . it wasn't the same power as before the possession."

"Could the witch be using Susan's name like the sorceress did with you sister?" Cain asked. It seemed he felt like recognizing her existence again.

DG thought about this. "No, I don't think so. I felt like me, I mean, like her."

"Hmm," said Raw. They were quiet again.

* * *

Psst, leave a review.


	9. Chapter 9

At last: the back story of the witches (well, my take on it). And more nightmares. I swear I don't enjoy torturing DG.

Question: That black guy with the side burns who was always at the sorceress' side, what was his name? And what happened to him? I re-watched Tin Man, and they don't identify him by name anywhere. He also disappears after giving Azkadellia the pendant with the emerald. Maybe he snuck out and freed Zero, and they're out causing troubles for DG and her friends. Hmm, that would make an interesting story. Maybe next time.

* * *

She hated the Desert. After a day of floating over it, she understood why people thought it was impassible. Though they had packed sufficient provisions and were drinking water regularly, her skin felt devoid of moisture, and her lips were beginning to crack. Glitch was down to pants and an undershirt; he had pulled out sun goggles from somewhere. Cain's duster and vest were gone, and he had conceded enough to the heat to roll up his shirt to the elbows. But he'd look so much better without it at all, she thought. The hat was still on and shading his face. Raw was the worst off. They'd pulled a blanket over half the balloon for shade. Though it blocked the light and some of the heat, it also trapped a pocket of hot air. Raw lay beneath it moaning pitifully. DG missed shorts. Lavender Eyes had permitted most of her clothes and style from the Otherside, but shorter than mid-calf skirts and shorts were forbidden. Her tank top made the journey tolerable though only just.

They had been able to land while still in the O.Z., but that privilege stopped once they hit the Desert. Spending twenty-four hours a day with three men in tight company wasn't pleasant. Things between her and Cain were slightly less awkward now, but the real problem came from the lack of private time. Suddenly, the long tradition on the Otherside of having all male crews on ships made a great deal of sense. In a small bit of mercy, almost all the water they drank went to re-hydrating their bodies, so there weren't as many awkward situations as there might have been.

She wanted a bath desperately and thought longingly about leaping out of the balloon and into the ocean as soon as they got there. What a wonderful thought.

"It's been forever since I've seen the ocean," she said with a small smile. Broad smiles cracked the lips and hurt.

Her companions turned to her. They wore matching expressions of shock. "You've seen the Circle Ocean?" Cain asked incredulously.

"No," she said. "My par . . . nurture units took me to the coast a couple times when I was younger." They looked even more stunned. "What?"

"Very few people from the O.Z. ever leave it, and the only way to reach the ocean is to cross the Desert. I've never met someone who has seen the sea. None of us have," Glitch explained.

"Wow," that was hard to imagine. "Well, it's really cool. The water goes on forever. You can smell the salty water and fish from a mile away. And there's sharks and dolphins and whales," she told them excitedly. She got three blank looks. "They're really big fish except for the whale which looks like a house-sized fish but is actually a mammal." Raw scooted closer to the side of the balloon. He didn't look like he wanted to see any house-sized animals. She knew he still avoided the fields of the Papay, so she decided not to tell him sharks were carnivorous. Glitch looked ecstatic though, and Cain just rolled his eyes.

The advisor shook himself. "Do we need to travel all the way to the coast?" he asked her.

Cain answered adamantly, "No."

She said, "I think so. In the last part of my dream, Pipt and Susan were in a house by the sea. I could smell it in the air."

"To the big fish then," Glitch grinned and pointed. Raw groaned.

They had spotted some sparse greenery the evening of the second day. Glitch thought they'd reach IX proper by morning.

She curled up. As hot as it was during the day, it was far colder at night. A week ago she would have leaned against Cain for warmth, but things were still uneasy enough between them to keep her on the other side of the balloon, shivering. She wouldn't have minded snuggling up to Raw; his fur looked heavenly in the frozen moonlight. However, the viewer was already comfortably settled and sound asleep, and she couldn't bring herself to wake him. Glitch was still navigating. Fortunately for them all, his occasional glitching hadn't included forgetting how to pilot the balloon.

She'd asked him earlier that day how he had known how to pilot it. He'd told her Ahamo had taught him. Lavender Eyes had insisted on visiting the Otherside when she first met Ahamo, and Glitch had gone with them as chaperone and explorer. No wonder he knew so much Otherside lingo. She bit her teeth to stop them from chattering and looked over at Cain.

He was reclining against the side of the balloon with his duster covering him like a sheet and his hat tipped over his eyes. She still felt that he was watching her. She closed her eyes, and eventually her fetal pose stored up enough warmth to let her sleep.

_She was eight and standing beside Grams in front of a cave on the outskirts of Finaqua. There were guards on either side of the entrance. Someone was calling from inside._

_"Do you hear that?" Grams asked. She nodded. "That's an evil witch. When I first came here as a little girl, she had captured the empress of the O.Z. and the most powerful of the good witches._

_"Why did she do that?" She asked Grams looking at the cave. The cry was so mournful._

"_She wanted to use their power to bring eternal darkness to the O.Z. I distracted her. You see I had killed her sister by accident, and she wanted me dead. She wanted my silver slippers too, but when she tried to take them, they burned her like lightning and caused her to fall unconscious. As she lay there, I freed the empress and the good witch. But I was too late. The evil witch had been using the double eclipse to steal their powers for herself and to bring about everlasting darkness. Though the darkness had not yet come, their powers were all but gone, transformed into the emerald. They were so weak. Using the emerald and the last of their strength, they sealed the witch away into this cave. Then they gave me the last of their power, left the emerald in my keeping, and vanished." _

_Grams kneeled down in front of her and placed weathered but strong hands on her shoulders. She squirmed a little under her grandmother's gaze. "Susan, the power I was given has passed onto my daughters and onto you and your cousins. It is the mark of the Gale line. Do not misuse it, and never enter the cave. That is imperative. Do you understand?"_

_"Yes, Grams."_

_She and Grams were in the Eastern Guild. They were standing side by side again. This time there was no cave. Instead, there was a cluster of trees growing so close together not even daylight could pass between them. She shivered. This place was unnaturally cold and unnaturally dark. Grams wrapped an arm round her shoulder. There was no mournful voice this time, and her voice was shaky when she asked, "Is there another witch in there?"_

_"Yes Susan. My old house is in there, and the witch lies beneath it still. The guildsmen planted these trees as a barrier. They wanted to be very sure she never came back."_

_"But she died."_

_"Death isn't always forever, dear one."_

_They were at the edge of the O.Z. She'd never been this far from home before. The Desert looked cold and evil. Grams stepped onto it carrying a shovel. She turned around after a few steps. "Come Susan, there is one more thing we must do."_

_She followed her grandmother hesitantly onto the sand. It gave way a little under her feet; it was worse than mud. "We aren't going to cross it?" She asked terrified._

_"No, dear one." They walked and walked. Her fingers went numb, so she started to shake her hands to warm them. Grams grabbed one of her hands rubbing her fingers with a wrinkled thumb. Her grandmother stopped and pulled a bundle out of her cloak. Grams handed it to her along with the shovel. "Bury it," she said._

_It stung to dig and jarred her frozen fingers. Only the surface layer of sand was soft. The next was rock hard. Grams made her keep digging though, and her breath misted as she huffed with the effort of digging. Her grandmother laid a hand on her arm. She dropped the shovel, bent to grab the bundle and threw it in the hole. As the first load of sand dropped onto it, she saw the faintest glimmer of silver._

_Grams steered her back towards the O.Z. They walked for awhile. "Those were your slippers, weren't they?" She asked._

_"No Susan, they were yours." She stopped and turned back to where she had dug the hole and couldn't find any trace of it. Grams smiled sadly at her and turned her back around. "You're powerful already and have no need of those slippers. They're yours though if you ever need them."_

_She looked over her shoulder. "I wouldn't be able to find them again."_

_"Your eyes aren't the only way to search, but do not go looking for them unless you have to. Like the emerald, they are stolen magic, but unlike the emerald, they were not given to me. I gained them by blood, and the witch gained them by darker methods. I've given them to you. I hope that is enough."_

_"Are they evil?" she asked horrified._

_"Things are what they used as and gained by." They stepped out of the Desert and into the O.Z. "The members of our family are powerful. The emerald of the eclipse is powerful. The slippers are powerful. Two of these together are almost unstoppable. All three together would be invincible. Invincibility is dangerous, Susan; it leaves no room for mistakes."_

_Everything was dark. She was being pushed down. Her whole body felt heavy, and there was a voice. The witch's voice. A blackness was speeding through her veins, and the witch was leaning over her pushing her down. It was dark all around them, but the black below her, the darkness she was being pushed into, was blacker. Colder. Empty. Her back and elbows went under. They faded away. Her feet were going under. Airek! Grams! The witch was grinning down at her. Her knees sank under. They disappeared. Help me! All those teeth were grinning at her. Her body wouldn't move, wouldn't fight back. Her hips and stomach went under. They were gone. She couldn't scream. She was sinking; she couldn't stop it._

_"Susan!"_

"DG!" It was still bitterly cold, but the dark was punctured by stars and the flaring torch of the balloon. She was in Cain's arms, and his grip was so tight her bones were threatening to break. His own body was tense enough to shatter. Glitch was kneeling behind him staring at her in wide-eyed terror, and Raw's hands were clutching her shoulders. He was shoving warmth into her.

"Cain," she said weakly. It seemed his body could tense even further. "Wyatt, it's alright. I'm alright now." He didn't let go of her, but his embrace loosened below the point of pain. Raw sent a final pulse of comfort and warmth to her before releasing her shoulders.

"DG," Glitch started. He still looked frightened. "You started disappearing. We thought," Cain's grip tightened again. She hadn't been holding him back this time. Her arms were at her sides. Her whole body was limp just like in her dream. She'd been disappearing, just like in her dream.

"I think I prefer my own nightmares," she said.

* * *

I think I'm torturing Cain too. Sorry Tin Man. Don't shoot me.


	10. Chapter 10

Cain was still holding her though she now sat cradled against him. She'd told them about her dream as best she could. He still hadn't spoken. Glitch and Raw asked a few questions though. Her limbs still weren't working, but she could feel life flowing back into them. When she was finished speaking, Glitch explained that he'd seen her shaking rather violently in her sleep before going absolutely still. He'd called out to her. She hadn't responded, but his yell had woken Cain and Raw. She'd started to disappear exactly the way she had as Susan in her dream, and it was then that Cain grabbed her. He'd called her name. She'd kept disappearing. They'd all called her name. It didn't help, so Raw tried using his gift. That hadn't worked.

"I think you called me back, Wyatt. Or rather, I think you all called me back, but the last call finally got all the way through." His thumb was rubbing circles on her upper arm. Saying his name felt like a charm. She wondered if saying it enough would erase the memory of fading into nothing.

"Do you think the emerald is making it worse?" Glitch asked.

"No," Raw said before she could. "Emerald soothing. Emerald call DG's friends. Responds to DG's deepest desires." She was glad she lacked the energy to blush. She just knew that information was going to cause her trouble with the man holding her.

"So," she said hoping to steer the conversation down a less humiliating route, "if I pine away for a hot fudge sunday, it'll transport me to a Dairy Queen." She felt the rumble in Cain's chest. It didn't even rise to the level of an audible laugh, but it helped. The man probably had no clue what she was talking about.

Glitch jerked, stared blankly ahead, and jerked again. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, we're hovering over the first town."

"Good, we'll land in the morning and get some answers," Cain decided finally speaking.

Glitch set them down in a valley just outside the town. She'd spent the morning drawing a picture of Airek hoping, she thought futilely, that it would speed their search. As they were pulling out their gear, Glitch spoke up. "Hey Cain, my memory's still a little patchy on the subject, but what do they speak in IX?"

Cain grunted, "How should I know Zipperhead?"

"Ixian," Raw suggested.

DG thought about this. "I didn't have any troubles talking when I first got here, and I was been raised on the Otherside."

"But you're from here, Doll," Glitch added sensibly.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but I didn't know that."

"Maybe DG's speech remembered without knowing it." Raw was just the little optimist today.

"We can't count on maybes," Cain said turning to her, "think you can do something Kid?" She narrowed her eyes at him. Raw and Glitch were now looking at her expectantly. What was she supposed to do? Confer xenoglossy on them all? She didn't know how to do that. And why the hell was he still calling her Kid?

"DG use emerald?" This was from Raw.

She sighed and shrugged. "Sure, why not?" She grasped the emerald in both hands and closed her eyes. "Okay emerald, we want to talk to the Ixians." She concentrated and felt a tingling sensation like a dentist's anesthetic in her lower jaw and throat.

"Did it work?" Cain asked sounding skeptical. His voice didn't sound different. She glared at him anyway.

When they entered the town, the people looked at them with vacant curiosity as sheep and cows sometimes do with passing vehicles and then went on with their lives. No one said hello.

Glitch waltzed up to the nearest shop, a blacksmith, smiling broadly and asked, "Who would we see about historical questions?"

"Archivist," the man said without looking up.

"And where is the archivist?" The man pointed into a busy street then went back to work.

"Come on Glitch," she said pulling on his sleeve. "Maybe there'll be a sign."

"Well, Doll, at least we know your spell worked."

"Or they already speak the same language we do."

It turned out that the blacksmith had pointed in the right direction, but they'd had to stop and ask several more people for help. Each person gave a similarly vague response. People here were REAL friendly.

The archivist was in an old, skinny two-story building. The door was open, and the inside smelled like a used bookstore. It was covered in books, scrolls, various writing instruments, and loose sheets of paper and parchment. The light was dim but not unwelcoming. When they had all entered, a small moldy man who might have been any age from twenty-seven to sixty-two shuffled excitedly towards them. He stopped two inches from DG's face. She leaned back slightly and saw Cain move a hand to his fourty-four. The man didn't notice, and Glitch pulled Cain's hand away. The tin man glared at him but didn't reach for his gun again.

"A quartet from the O.Z. What a thrill, what a thrill. And you came to visit me, how exciting."

DG pulled her drawing from her pocket and held it in front of her face like a shield. The man leaned in; she leaned back. She'd be a limbo champion if they had a pole. "We're looking for information about this man. His name is or was . . . "

"Tipp," the man finished for her taking the paper.

"Tipp?" she asked surprised.

"Yes. If you travel for about a day, you would reach Citi-in, it's our capitol you know. There's a statue of Kaire Tipp and his wife Assun there. Everyone in Citi-in knows it.

Airek Pipt and Susan. "Why's there a statue?"

"Oh, over four hundred annuals ago, all of IX was suffering from this sickness. Everyone who got it died. IX almost vanished before the Tipps arrived one day and started healing people. They were a pair of healers; there's a legend that says Assun even had magic." He walked over to a pair of chairs covered in scrolls pulling her with him. He shoved the piles of paper off and guided her clumsily to a seat before sitting himself in front of her. She squirmed a little. She recognized a schoolboy crush when she saw one. Raw was holding Cain back. She smiled; he was cute when he was furious.

"What happened to them?" she asked.

"They built a manor by the sea in Citi-in and had lots of children. Their descendants still live there, but they're rather introverted. They only come out to get married now."

"How would we get to this manor?" She couldn't believe her luck. They'd found them after only a day!

He stood up and spun around then stopped and spun in the other direction. "Yes," he said, "that way. Straight that way for about seventy miles. Ask anyone when you get there, and they can point you towards the manor. It's quite big."

"Thanks," she said quickly hopping out of her seat. They could be there by tomorrow with the balloon.

"Wait," he said skittering after her. "One of their descendants lives here. She isn't as private as the rest of them, and she knows all about her family's history." DG stared at him. "But," he began, "she doesn't like people from the O.Z. She's a healer, and she'll fix up anyone. However, she won't even let the few traders we get from the O.Z. cross her doorstep, and she's got a terrible temper."

She'd handled turkey men, grass carnivorous pigs, a sadistic army, and an evil witch. How tough could dealing with one woman's temper be? "Where does she live?"

"On the outskirts of the south side of town," he told her still following her as she made her way to the door, "you should stay for supper."

"Sorry, we can't," Cain said hooking a hand round her arm and leading her out.

The archivist followed them to the door. "I forgot to tell you. Her name's Assun."

* * *

Hmm, I've subscribed to the stereotypical nerd despite the fact that I know several very hot nerds.

With this chapter, 1/3 of the story is up, and several characters are waiting in the wings to make your acquaintance.

I love reviews.


	11. Chapter 11

It was a small house with no embellishment. Somebody slept here, but that was all. A woman was carrying firewood towards the door. She was golden haired, tanned, and younger than DG, and she was obviously Airek's descendant. Her face was serious but not unkind; however, when she saw the four of them approaching her, a scowl spread across her face. She turned away and reached for the doorknob.

DG smiled. "Susan Pipt," the girl spun back around her knuckles white on the wood. "I'm Dorothy Gale."

They stared at each other a moment. "Did Father send you?" the girl bit out.

"No," DG said hesitantly, "I don't know your father. We actually came to ask you about your ancestors, Airek and Susan Pipt."

"Is this his way of punishing me for reading the journal? Or maybe he's grown a conscious. Well, I don't need his foreigner friends invading my house."

"I still don't know your father, so if you could set aside your paternal issues for a minute." This from someone who still had troubles calling her own father Dad. "We need answers. It's kind of important, and we don't have an excess of time."

"Tell him this is in bad taste," continued the girl as if she hadn't been listening. She opened the door.

Raw spoke up, "Believes DG, just scared."

The girl spun back around, "And that's in worst taste. What is that anyway?!"

"His name is Raw, and he's a viewer" DG said slowly. She could get angry too; it seemed like a terrific idea at the moment. "Look, I've spent the last fifteen years on the Otherside being raised by robots. Then I find out my memories were erased and that I'm actually a princess of the O.Z. who had to save the realm because her sister had been possessed by a witch. A witch whose sister your ancestor tried to resurrect. I've been hunted by Longcoats, captured, imprisoned, killed, brought back to life, kidnapped by my own father, and locked in a coffin. I finally managed to save my sister, and then my father tells there's another witch. And to top it all off I start having dreams I'm Susan Gale and am being possessed. I think I have the right to a few questions!"

The girl was looking at her in shock. The rant had helped; she felt loads better. The girl seemed to be considering something. She bowed her head and said quietly, "The witch WAS resurrected."

"And what happened to her?" DG asked carefully.

The girl smiled weakly. "Come in." Like the outside, the interior of the house was sparse and practical. It had only what was essential to living and working and could not in any way be considered a home. The girl directed them to a dinning table. The chairs were wooden and straight-backed. "So you're Dorothy?"

"DG."

"Alright, I'm Assun. Only my father calls me Susan, and I hate it."

"How much do you know about Pipt and Susan?" Cain asked.

Assun looked at him. "A great deal," she said evenly. "Even before he and Susan left the O.Z., Airek kept a meticulous journal. It has everything. How much would you like to know?"

"Everything," DG answered.

Assun gave them another weak smile. "Airek grew up a brilliant child in an un-brilliant family. They mocked his intelligence and expected him to settle down to the simple family life. Instead, he grew ambitious and bitter. He apprenticed as both an alchemist and a doctor and finally gained a position working for the royal family. By then, Dorothy Gale had become legendary.

"Over time, he became envious of the magic of the Gale family; Dorothy could do with a thought a task he'd need hours of labor and expensive equipment to complete. Of course, working for the royal family gained him access to all the stories about the witches. Consequently, he decided he would take their power."

"Take their power?" Glitch asked. "How?"

"There used to be hundreds of witches in the O.Z. However, over the last century, they'd been killed or had disappeared. With the two witches sealed away and the empress and high witch of the O.Z. gone, the Gale line was the only prominent magic family remaining. There were still records from earlier though, and in his research, Airek found a scroll detailing how to separate a witch from her power and how to then transfer that power to another person. The method had been found by the witch who created the emerald of the eclipse." DG swallowed; the emerald hung warmly in front of her chest. Though her last dream had told her this already, it still felt uncomfortable to hear it. She felt like a thief and wondered whose magic lay trapped in the silver slippers. Did Assun know about those too? "Airek had no desire to steal Gale magic. It was only half-witch magic anyway, and the Gales were a well-loved benevolent force. He decided to use one of the sealed witches instead. Since the one who'd created the emerald was too well guarded, he chose her dead sister thinking it would be safer and easier.

"Not long after he began working for the Gales, he came across one of Dorothy's granddaughters. She was crying, and he was patient and kind to her. Unfortunately, his philanthropy engendered a permanent love in the girl. Her name was Susan, and she started following him around, asking questions, intruding in his lab at all hours, and quickly became an annoying shadow. She was Dorothy's favorite grandchild, and the queen disliked the idea of a friendship between them. Airek was arrogant and at times disconcerting. The queen distrusted him, but he was too useful to let go. So she warned him away from Susan. As a result of the anger brought about by Dorothy's warning and the fear and annoyance of Susan's curious explorations, he began to resent the girl he'd once been kind to. He was rude to her, dismissive, and even cruel, yet her affection for him continued and grew.

"About a year after his decision to gain power had been made, the Gales took a trip to the newly completed castle on the Northern Island. He used the opportunity to steal away to the Eastern Guild and steal the witch's body. He was nearly caught several times, and the gap in the trees was found almost immediately. He hid the witch's body in the house of his bachelor uncle who had died a few years previously. His work for the royal family continued; Susan's attentions intensified. She became clingy.

"People began to privately accuse him of cutting down the tree in the Eastern Guild, and suspicion about his involvement in the possible abduction of the witch's body spread. Dorothy questioned him. He lied, and she ordered him to leave. Consequently, he snuck away to his uncle's house and continued his research. He was indignant at the treatment and saw Dorothy's sealing of the Wtiches as a way to prevent any magical rivals. However, it was then that he learned that in order to take the witch's power he would need to restore her life, and the price of doing so was sacrificing the soul of another magical being. He'd need a host body, and the only usable hosts were the Gales. It was a terrible revelation." Assun paused and stared at the wall deep in thought.

"Airek decided to set the plan aside until an alternative could be found, but Susan found him first and offered herself as the sacrifice."

"She already knew about the resurrection and transfer procedures. She'd read about them in his research," DG added.

Assun stared at her in shock. "How do you know that?"

DG smiled uneasily at her, "I told you my dreams are her memories. Please continue."

Assun started again hesitantly, "She wasn't the ignorant, clingy child he had thought, but he still refused her offer and ordered her to leave. She'd scared him. For all his annoyance, Airek had never hated her, and she was one of the few people who defended him during the accusations. He'd secretly liked that she insisted on being his friend, and he would never have harmed her. After she left, he decided to dispose of the witch's body. It was becoming too dangerous to continue. He kept the body and most of his research in a cellar below the house. The night after Susan's departure he went down there, but she followed him.

"He was terrified. Over the last few days, he had begun hearing things. His efforts hadn't revived the witch, but they had awakened her. He tried to force Susan out, but instead, he had to stand helpless as the witch attacked her. For awhile, he believed her dead; she was so still and cold," Assun was so focused on her story that she didn't see DG tense up. Cain did and laid a hand on her shoulder. Assun was still talking, "Then her body started to shake violently, started to disappear, and then it stilled again. She lay limp, unconscious and unmoving for three days before waking up as Susan." Assun looked to DG asking silently if she already knew the next part of the story. DG shook her head.

"When she was awake and after he'd made sure the woman talking to him really was Susan, he asked her what had happened. She told him she'd been possessed and that the witch was inside of her, but she'd done research as well and had found a way to protect herself against that eventuality."

"The silver slippers," DG said excitedly. Assun looked confused, so did her three companions. "In the dream," she continued wanting to explain, "I was wearing them. I just didn't realize it before. Grams had given them to me, I mean, Dorothy gave them to Susan and made her bury them, but Susan must have dug them up when she realized what Airek was going to do. If she knew a spell to protect herself against possession, the slippers would have bolstered her magic."

"But the journal never mentioned the slippers, and I know he knew of their existence. He thought Dorothy had them."

"But she was wearing them!" DG insisted.

"We believe you, Princess," Cain said squeezing the hand still on her shoulder. He wasn't doing it for comfort but rather to keep her seated.

"Anyway," Assun said after a moment still not looking convinced, "Susan remained herself. The witch did possess her body, but her mind was locked away. She was still there and able to whisper from time to time but was not in control. Unfortunately, Susan's salvation had a price. She had gotten the witch's powers but had lost her own."

"Wouldn't that have been a drop in magic?" Glitch asked.

"No actually. This witch was more powerful than her sister. One reason there were so few witches by that time is she tended to hunt them and steal their power. It was a trick her sister never could master, so Susan's new magic was the combined power of nearly a dozen witches. She offered the power to Airek, but he refused it. He no longer thought he deserved it.

"He told her he would have to leave the O.Z. After what had happened, he couldn't stay. She answered that she couldn't either, not after loosing the magic she was born with, but for the first time in their relationship, she didn't insist on accompanying him. Airek asked her to come; she was impossibly happy for someone who'd just suffered as she had. They crossed the Desert, came to IX, and became healers.

"So did the witch die when Susan did?"

"No, like the Gale magic, the witch's power passed from generation to generation. However, unlike Gale magic, only one daughter in each generation receives the power and the murmurings of the witch. Normally, the shift occurs just before the new carrier reaches adulthood. Afterwards, the old carrier is left powerless." Assun looked carefully at them. "I'm the current carrier; my family was displeased about that. My aunt was the old carrier, and she says my mother robbed her daughter of the magic by naming me after Susan."

"Is that what's to blame for the tension between you and your father?"

"No," Assun laughed bitterly, "that problem goes much deeper."


	12. Chapter 12

I love writing Susan. She's like a female Carrot Ironfoundersson, a sly and at times manipulative genius underneath a front of naïveté. I wish I could add more about her, but it isn't really relevant to this story.

Hope you like it.

* * *

"Has the witch been trying to escape?" DG asked later. Their hostess had lost all her enmity by the end of her story. She had become cooperative and almost friendly.

"No, just annoying and demeaning," Assun answered.

"If she isn't trying to destroy the O.Z. or take revenge, why would you be having these nightmares?" Cain asked her. He was leaning against the wall watching Assun.

"I don't know," DG said miserably letting her forehead drop onto the table.

She saw Assun shift towards her out of the corner of her eye. "You keep talking about these nightmares and about the other witch. What happened exactly?"

The four of them took turns over the next three hours explaining the history of the O.Z. since Airek and Susan had left, Ahamo's story about the sightings of the pair, and DG's subsequent nightmares. It was dark by the time they finished, and Assun was wide-eyed with wonder.

"I don't have any extra rooms," their hostess explained, "but I can give you dinner at least.

"We can sleep outside," Cain said. "We have bedrolls."

"As long as I don't have to sleep in the balloon," DG replied. She loved her friends and hadn't minded the interval in Cain's arms, but even her personal space had been invaded in the cramped quarters of the balloon.

"You should go to an inn; it'll be more comfortable," Assun urged.

"I don't think an inn would be a good idea," Glitch said.

DG looked at him. "Why not?"

"Because there's no way you're sleeping alone, Kid, not after last night," Cain said finally.

Supper went quietly, and they set up camp immediately afterward. Cain placed their bedrolls side by side. If Glitch and Raw thought this odd, they said nothing. Assun quirked an eyebrow at it but kept silent too.

When they were lying down, she rolled over to face Cain. He was studying her,

"Why didn't you tell her about having the emerald?" he asked.

"I don't know. I had this feeling I shouldn't."

"You think she's lying about something?"

"No. Do you?"

"No, but there's something she isn't telling us. It's about her. She's comfortable telling us the detailed life story of her ancestors, but she gets jittery when the story gets back to her."

"Bravo for your super tin man skills," she teased him then sobered. "I think you're right though, and I think whatever she's hiding is linked to these dreams. Night, Cain." She snuggled into her bedroll. Even the ground felt good after nearly four days in the balloon.

"Good night, Kid."

She waited till he looked like he was about to fall asleep. "Cain, since my subconscious tried to use you as a sex toy, do you think you could stop calling me Kid?" He managed to stop most of the spasm.

"That's a hypocritical request, Princess," he said lazily when he had untensed.

"Why?" She propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him. He didn't move.

"Because even after that incident you still call me Cain."

She arched an eyebrow, a trait she picked up from him. "But you are Cain, tin man par excellence, military maneuver expert, the I-can-shoot-seven-men-with-five-bullets-while-wounded tough guy. You're Cain."

He groaned and rolled over.

"I can't call Glitch Ambrose because he isn't Ambrose most of the time, and I don't think Raw even has a last name. It isn't hypocritical at all."

"Go to sleep, DG," he said tiredly still facing away.

She grinned. "Okay Wyatt."

_She woke up in a bed; it smelled like Airek. She tugged the sheets closer and inhaled. He walked in and stopped. "Susan," he said unbelieving and rushed to her. He sat down on the edge and let his fingers skim the side of her face. As if he had just realized something, he pulled his hand away and shot to his feet._

_"Who are you?" he demanded._

_"Me," she said tiredly. Her body felt heavy and limp. When he scowled, she added, "Susan Gale, daughter of Emily Gale, granddaughter of Dorothy Gale, princess of light, and at the moment not really able to grasp what you're doing."_

_Airek's body was rigid; he looked so angry. He had never been really angry at her before, just annoyed. "If you've hurt her, I'll kill you myself."_

_'As if you could,' snapped a voice at the edge of hearing. She smothered it and felt it hiss at her._

_"Doctors think they know everything," she said teasing him weakly. "It never occurred to you that I was smart enough to know how to protect myself. I really should have corrected that belief, but it was so fun to act naïve and annoy you." She offered him a smile that would have been dazzling if she wasn't exhausted. His body unlocked, and he sank onto the bed._

_"Susan." He sounded so relieved. Her heart fluttered._

_She scooted away from him and tapped the empty spot next to her. "You look terrible Airek. Lie down; I promise I'll still be me when you wake up."_

_He didn't move for a moment then slumped down beside her. His breathing slowed and deepened almost instantly. She looked over his head. There on a chair were her clothes and shoes. The shoes were black and well worn but polished. On the heel though, a single line of silver shone. She had buried her magic in them, so in trying to steal magic, the witch's own magic had been stolen instead. She would have to re-bury the slippers. It was too dangerous to keep them. Even sealed away inside her, the witch was awake, and the slippers could grant her freedom. Pushing the thought aside till morning, she scooted closer to Airek and wrapped her arms around him. She smiled when he didn't pull away._

She was still dreaming, but these weren't Susan's memories. She was standing on the sand of the Desert not far from the border into the O.Z. The moonlight passed through her like she was a ghost. In front of her, a man was digging. He pulled out a bundle and unwrapped it. Inside were a pair of old, black shoes with a single line of silver shining at the heel. The man smiled.

She was in a study. It was a beautifully arranged room. She was standing in front of a cabinet. The door to the study opened. Three children crept in: a boy and two girls. "We shouldn't be here," one of the girls whispered. "My father will beat us if he finds us."

"Shut up, Assun," snarled the boy, "you're such a coward." He pulled a metal pick from his pocket and worked the cabinet open. Inside it was lined with dozens of bottles, old books, and a pair of old, black shoes. The boy took a large, hardbound tome and swayed a little under its weight. The second girl looked over the bottles and chose one. They carried their plunder out. Assun hesitated a moment then pulled out a worn green book; it was floppy and looked like a journal. She hugged it to her chest, closed the cabinet and followed the others out.

DG followed them and passed through the door when she tried to open it. Assun was whispering again. "What'd you take?"

"The book of the ancients," the boy said. "It has every spell ever created." He smiled; it wasn't a good smile.

"A silencing serum," the girl held the bottle up triumphantly, "to shut up that stupid old which when Mother's powers pass to me."

"But you don't know you'll get them, Felice" Assun said. The other girl pushed her to the floor.

"Of course I will. Besides, Fara and Livia are too old, and no magic would ever pick you." She and the boy sneered at Assun then continued walking away.

* * *

"Weiver, weiver, weiver," says the mirror.


	13. Chapter 13

! Thanks again for the reviews.

I don't think I need a disclaimer for this, but I don't own the rights to Spaceballs. Hopefully, Mel Brooks won't mind the reference. I bow to his genius.

* * *

When DG woke, the light was still dim, and the first sunrise was still over an hour away. She was warm; this was because nearly all her limps were tangled with Cain's. Her arms were around his neck, and her face was buried in his chest. His arms were loosely circled round her waist, and his breath was heavy and slow as it blew across her hair. Still asleep. There would be consequences for this later. For now, she closed her eyes smiling and went back to sleep.

Movement woke her. One sun had risen. The movement had been Cain unweaving himself from her; he was still working his right leg free. "Morning, Wyatt," she said sleepily.

He stilled a moment then pulled his leg free. "Morning, Princess."

She sat up, "I didn't molest you in my sleep this time, did I?"

"Do you always joke about sex?" He started rolling up his bedroll. She got up and copied him.

"I find it relieves tension," she answered off-handedly.

When they were finished, he carried both their bedrolls to the balloon. "DG," he paused when he reached it, "have you ever . . ." and trailed off.

"Had sex?" she finished for him. "No. Mom or Popsicle always managed to interrupt my attempts. Looking back, it makes sense. It was probably some built in virgin alarm like on Spaceballs. Got to keep the little princess pure, right?" She wasn't smiling.

"Good," he said and threw the bedrolls in.

She leaned back against the side of the balloon. There was no way he was getting out of this. "Good? And you call me hypocritical. You're not a virgin."

"I was married," he said and started walking back towards Glitch and Raw.

"So you were a virgin before you were married?" He stopped, started walking again.

"Hypocrite," she teased.

He turned and walked back to her. "I'm a man."

"That's sexism."

"You're the princess of the O.Z. and most likely the future queen."

"Beside the point," she waved a hand dismissively. He rolled his eyes and turned again. "I love you," she said quietly. He spun back to face her. If he kept turning like that, he'd be a human top. "I wanted to tell you in case my next dream kills me and I don't get another chance." She pushed off from the balloon and tried to walk past him. He caught her arm.

"DG."

She looked up at him. "It's okay, Wyatt, you don't have to do anything. I just wanted to tell you."

"Me too, Princess." She stared at him a moment then jumped. He held her to him and kissed the top of her head. Smiling goofily, she pulled his head down and kissed him properly. For a moment, they stood there just tasting and holding one another then he rested his forehead against hers.

She smiled wickedly, "You can set my virgin alarm off anytime, Tin Man." He dropped her. Her butt smacked the dirt in front of his feet as her legs sprawled out on either side. She glared up at him, but he was already walking back towards the camp. Ow, she was certain her tailbone had hit a rock, but on the upside Cain loved her. She smiled at his retreating back.

As Glitch and Raw were rolling up their bedrolls and muttering about Cain's early wakeup call, a man was hurrying towards the house. He paused, looked fearfully at the four of them, and rushed to pound on Assun's door. The girl opened it.

"Miss Tipp, my father, he's . . ." he looked pleadingly at her.

"Is it his heart again?" Assun asked. The man nodded hurriedly. "Just a moment," she rushed inside and after a clinking of bottles and banging of cupboards she came out of the house with a small box. As she and the man walked passed them, she spoke quickly to DG, "I'll be back by this afternoon."

"We'll come with you," DG said moving to follow.

"In a minute," Cain added catching her arm. "Can you hide the balloon, Sweetheart?" he whispered in her ear. She shivered already on a high from his use of the nickname and yet plummeting because of the dirty direction her thoughts were taking as a result of his proximity.

"Yeah," she said huskily. He tensed at the sound of her voice, and when she looked at him, his eyes were darkening.

Glitch coughed behind them and nodded his head toward the balloon and then Assun's shrinking figure. She concentrated on an illusion spell Toto had taught her. The balloon looked like a large tree unless she really focused on it.

She started running after Assun. Behind her, Cain threw a Papay fruit and bread roll to Glitch and Raw. He catch up with her as the other two jogged along behind.

The man brought them to a farm. The crops weren't dead yet, but they were wilting. The house likewise was wilting, and the man's father was inside reflecting the condition of the rest of the farm. His family stood around him looking grim. Assun sat on his bed and gave him a broth to drink. "This will help with the pain. If you keep overexerting yourself, you'll be in a grave by the end of the month. I've warned you before," she chastised him softly.

The old man gave her a weak glare, "I will not be an infant for my son to nurse. I've worked this land for sixty years; my part won't stop now just because of a little pain."

He tried to sit up possibly to prove his assertion. Assun pushed him down gently. "This medicine won't cure you; you have to rest."

Raw stepped forward. The man's family plastered themselves to the walls. "Don't fear. Raw help. Make pain stop and not return." When he reached toward the man's father, the man stepped between them. Cain's fingers twitched.

"It's alright," DG said stepping toward the man as well. "Raw's a healer. He can't make your father young again, but he can cure his heart trouble. Let him help." The man looked at her, looked at Assun who nodded, and then to Raw. He inched away from the bed.

Raw placed a hand on the sick man's chest. There was an indrawn breath and then a sigh. He stared at Raw in wonder and rubbed the skin over his heart. "I feel . . . wonderful," he said standing up. "Thank you," he said shaking Raw's hand vigorously. His son had the decency to look ashamed as he murmured a thank you to the viewer.

Awhile later, DG and her companions watched the family work. The fields looked miserable. Assun explained, "They've been spending a fortune on medicines in the past five years. The man who came for me has lost two children to sickness and then his father's heart started failing. When I moved here a year ago, he came to my door begging me for help, but I could only delay the condition. You've upstaged me Raw," she said sadly but kindly enough to the viewer.

"Raw sorry."

Assun laughed and hugged him, "No, I'm glad you did." DG thought Raw might be blushing but it was hard to tell with the fur.

She stepped away from their group and walked toward the man. Cain was shadowing her in a heartbeat. "Wyatt, I'm not going to be slaughtered by farmers." He said nothing and continued to walk with her. The man looked up at their approach. "Can you keep a secret?" she said smiling devilishly and put a finger to her lips. He stared at her. His family had stopped working to watch her.

She knelt down and laid her right palm on the ground. Healing fields had become her specialty in the last seven months. She concentrated and heard the gasps of the man and his family. When she stood up, the crops were healthy and green. She looked around her and said as if amazed, "Wow! This must be one of those freak miracles." She looked intently at the man. He nodded dumbly.

"Yes," he managed at last, "a fortuitous unexplained event."

She smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and walked back to her friends with Cain beside her. He was looking studiously ahead, but she could detect the tiniest hint of an amused smile. Assun wasn't smiling. She looked ashamed. DG waved goodbye to the farmers who were still staring at them. She looked at Assun and nodded in the direction of the girl's house, and the younger woman fell in step with her.

"Do the people in this town know you have magic?" she asked the girl.

"No."

"_Do_ you have magic?"

"Yes," Assun said quietly and then after a moment, "but I can't use it."

"Why not?" Glitch asked behind them.

Assun looked close to tears. "My mother was not well liked by the rest of her family, and she was liked even less when she married my father. My cousin Felice was certain she'd inherit her mother's power, so she and her brother Veren were furious when I received it instead. My aunt instructed me in its use because she felt duty bound, but my cousins were not satisfied with their bitterness."

"They used the Book of Ancients to block your magic," DG offered. The younger girl stopped and stared at her. "My dreams," DG explained.

When Assun had recovered from her shock, she continued, "They wanted to shift my power to Felice, but I left home before that could happen."

"Doll," Glitch said, "I think we found what your dreams were trying to tell you, and I think we should be worried."

"I think you're right," DG replied.

* * *

I hope you like Assun. You'll get to meet the rest of her family soon, and if I've done my job right, you probably won't like most of them. She's just barely eighteen and, if possible, has more familial problems than DG.


	14. Chapter 14

I found out the name of the sorceress' second in command. His name's Vy-Sor. I still have no clue what happened to him. Anyone know?

Please keep reading, and I'll get the chapters up as quickly as I can.

* * *

"What's the plan, Princess?" Cain asked. They were back at Assun's cottage.

"We're going to meet Assun's family," DG answered.

"Absolutely not," said Cain.

Glitch tried a different approach. "Won't that throw both you and Assun into danger? They'll try to steal her power, and when the find out who you are, they'll probably try for yours as well."

"Then we won't tell them I'm a Gale," DG smiled, "My mother always calls me her angel, so I'll be Angela, Angela Cain." No one commented. "And I'll shield your memories in case they have a way to probe our minds. Anyway, we have to get the slippers from Assun's father." She turned to a stunned Assun, "Does he still have them?"

"What slippers?" the girl stuttered.

"Susan's silver ones, the ones she used to protect herself. In my dream, I saw your father unbury them from the Desert where Susan had hidden them, and I saw them in his cabinet of magical items when you and the duo I can only assume are your cousins broke in to steal Airek's journal, the Book of Ancients, and the silencing potion." Her companions stared at her. This was becoming an annoying response.

"Look, stop looking at me like I'm insane. You've all suffered under bad magic. I've suffered. My family's suffered. The whole of the O.Z. has suffered. I won't see that happen again. With your magic sealed, the witch's influence might grow too strong to repress. Or your cousins might try to seek you out and steal your magic. They were bold enough to seal it away where your family could see. Its theft might release the witch, or Felice might become as bad as the witch. If we get the book and the slippers though, we might be able to reverse the seal. We'd also take away Assun's cousins' ability to use them. We have to go there!"

"I could just go back with you to the O.Z. You could try to reverse the seal there. I'm sure my cousins don't know about the slippers. My father didn't tell me about them; he won't tell my family," Assun said.

"No," DG asserted, "they could still come after you. The danger's still there. We have to end it here. Because of me, the O.Z. spent fifteen years in pain and fear. People died. I won't let that happen again, not to IX and not to the O.Z." She was standing and almost shouting now.

"It wasn't your fault, DG," Cain said quietly.

"Yes, it was! If I hadn't gone into that cave, the witch would never have taken Az! You'd still have Adora! Raw would have Lylo! Glitch would never have had a synapse misfire! It's my fault!"

"Raw have courage now. Coward before. Kalm proud to be viewer. All because of DG." Raw tried to reach out a hand to her. She twisted away.

"I like being Glitch," Glitch added. "Even if my synapses don't always fire right, fire right, fire right." Raw laid a hand on his arm.

"You went into the cave because you heard a child crying," Cain said grabbing her wrist gently. She pulled out of his grasp. He wasn't deterred. "You thought someone was in trouble."

"It was the witch. Az warned me not to; I should have listened." However, she didn't jerk free when Cain reached for her again. He took her hand.

"I have a high regard for your sister," he said keeping his eyes locked with hers. "She deserves it after what she went through, but she isn't the kind of person to run into a fight with a stick."

"That's because I lack sense, and she's sensible." She laughed; it turned into a sob.

"No," Cain said, "she's cautious, and you can't stand to watch others get hurt. You fight even if it means throwing yourself in danger, and you saved all of us because of your desire to help others."

She looked at him miserably, "I ran away."

He pulled her into an embrace, "And now you'll never run again." She flung her arms around him. Raw and Glitch joined the hug. They were all too wonderful for her.

Without letting go, Glitch asked, "Are we going to the coast to meet the Tipps then?"

"Yeah," Cain answered.


	15. Chapter 15

Oops, big thanks to Janie153 who pointed out that chapter 15 was not, in fact, chapter 15. So, here is the real chapter 15.

* * *

They had decided to leave the disguised balloon in the woods near Assun's cottage. It had been cramped with four passengers; five would have resulted in murder or at the least a quick jettison. Raw had suggested a travel storm, but when Assun had been told what that meant, she warned against it. Tornadoes were rare in IX, and someone in her family might recognize the twister for what it was. Glitch and Cain had agreed that they should avoid any public displays of magic, and Assun blushing and apologizing repeatedly to the viewer advised that she and Raw should stay behind in the nearby town when the actual visit was paid. They would attract too much notice.

That had been three hours ago. Now they were riding along the main Ixian road on a quartet of horses rented from one of the families Assun helped. DG couldn't shake the thought that the horses' owners had been rather cooperative. They had looked especially at herself and Raw, and she was beginning to distrust the Ixians' ability to stay close-mouthed. However, IX hadn't just been liberated from fifteen annuals of tyranny; secrecy, it seemed, was only the policy of criminals.

At the moment, Cain was in the lead in full tin man alertness while Glitch and Raw took up the rear. She had been riding in broken silence with Cain (broken mainly by herself with various attempts at conversation) when Assun had called her back for a word. The younger woman glanced at Cain as if making certain he was out of earshot. "DG," Assun whispered leaning towards her, "you are pretending to be Mister Cain's wife, aren't you?"

"Yes," she answered hesitantly, unsure why her companion felt the need to ask this. She and Cain couldn't be mistaken for siblings, and if and when someone saw her staring at him hungrily, she didn't want rumors of incest to arise.

"It's just," Assun continued dropping her voice even more, "you're slightly too old to pass as his daughter."

Cain wasn't that far away, and DG thought she caught the tiniest break in stride. When her own horror faded, her thoughts turned mischievous. Oh, it would be terrible to tease him about this. To drop a comment like perhaps he better not have Jeb watch her in his absence. She might just consider switching her regard to a _younger _Cain. And it would be low and childish to make him squirm by asking him to share his greater experience with a beginning such as herself. Well, novice. That would be awful. She couldn't wait.

She must have been smiling over much because her mouth hurt, and Assun was looking worriedly at her. "What are you intending to tell them anyway?" the girl asked. Cain stopped and waited for them. Glitch and Raw caught up. They were all looking at her.

"We're going to tell them the sorceress was defeated, and as part of the queen's plan for reconstruction, she's sending emissaries across the Desert into the surrounding lands to begin communications and trade routes. Her reports told her that the Tipps were an old, distinguished, and magical family; consequently, she could think of no better people than themselves to approach as noble representatives of IX. Therefore, she sent my husband, a distinguished guard during her reign and a well-respected resistance fighter, myself, a young, but promising historian, and her chief surveyor to meet with the Tipps." She thought a moment, "Do you think they'll recognize Wyatt or Glitch's name?"

"I don't think even Father knows the names of the Mystic Man's tin men; however, since his passion is magic and he did know about the Mystic Man, it's not impossible. I'm not sure about Ambrose."

"Hmm," Cain was quite the cowboy after all, so she suggested, "Wyatt, how about John Wayne or Bill Hickok or Clint Eastwood?"

Cain quirked an annoyed eyebrow at her and said, "Those are Otherside references, aren't they?"

"Doll, I don't meant to rupture your creativity, but I think we ought to avoid Otherside lingo, Otherside lingo, Otherside," Cain smacked his back.

She hunched down in her saddle and sulked. Ignoring her, Cain addressed the rest of the group, "I'll be John Westwood, and DG will be Angela Westwood. That compromise enough for you, Princess?" She lifted her head to look at him. His expression was a mixture of affection and strained patience. She nodded her head softly.

Glitch cocked his head to the side and smiled, "Since I got my noggin back but I'm still glitching, I think my name should be Less Marbles But Better Than None or Les Marbethano." Cain was rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. Raw was chuckling quietly. Assun's mouth was open.

"I think it's brilliant, Glitch," DG said and patted him on the shoulder. "Now, let's move, so we can get to an inn and real beds by nightfall."

"Hold on, Doll," Glitch said, "how do you plan to get the book and the shoes?"

She didn't even hesitate, "You and I are going to distract them with our diplomatic concerns while Wyatt sneaks away under the pretense of securing the perimeter or whatever it is you call it here and take the slippers and the book."

"You're asking an ex tin man to steal?" Glitch asked incredulously. "Do you even know the location of these items?"

Cain hadn't spoken yet. His face was frighteningly blank. "I'm sure Assun does." The younger girl's expression said otherwise. "I could use my light to scry or something, or Wyatt could go search the rooms." She looked at Cain, "You've got to have tin man stealth search techniques."

"DG," he warned.

"Alright, you and Glitch can distract them, and I'll look."

"No," Cain said it immediately, and Glitch and Raw were only a second behind.

"What about Glitch then?" DG tried desperately. Cain glared at her.

Assun cut in, "My father's steward has a soft spot for me. He probably knows where Father keeps the slippers, and he might help us get them if I asked him. My cousin Livia might help with the book. She never wanted the witch's power and wants Felice to have it about as much as I do."

DG turned to Cain, "Then you can sneak off and get the book and slippers."

He tilted his hat over his eyes, and she could hear an exasperated breath escape from under the rim. "Okay Princess, we'll do it your way."

* * *

It really is too much fun to make Cain squirm.

There will be gratuitous (absolutely not) sex in the next chapter; after all, I really do owe DG and Cain a night of fun before I throw them in danger.


	16. Chapter 16

They had reached an inn an hour after the second sun set, and the innkeeper had given them three rooms: one for the Westwoods, another for Les and his furry companion, and the last for the young woman who looked a lot like a Tipp. DG wasn't surprised when Cain told her to bunk with Assun. He probably would have shared a room with Raw or Glitch to ensure she stayed put if the viewer and adviser hadn't both passed out upon entering the first room.

She waited an hour and gave herself points for patience. Assun said nothing when she left the room. The girl was discreet.

Cain's door wasn't locked which surprised her. She opened it and let herself in. Cain was standing in front of the bed. His arms were folded and the look of strained patience had returned. "Go back to your room, DG."

"Your door was unlocked," both her smile and voice were less confident than she had meant them to be. "That was practically an invitation," but she wasn't sure. He hadn't moved.

"The first week I met you I spent chasing after you in your impulsive runs to save something or follow some memory. Wandering around in your nightgown" (pajama pants were another item on her mother's forbidden list) "in a strange inn in a foreign country is just the kind of maneuver you'd pull. If I had locked the door, you'd probably have tried to pick it or climb through the window, and I didn't feel like bailing you from jail for thievery or spending the night tending your broken neck." He'd managed to say all that moving only his lips. That was impressive though the fact that he'd pegged her so well annoyed her.

"I wouldn't have picked the lock," she said defiantly. He looked unconvinced. "I'd have used magic." A tiny shudder ran through his body. Was that a suppressed laugh? "And I'm an excellent climber. You'd be lucky if I even scraped my knee." He was chuckling softly now, so she stepped forward.

His laughter died immediately. "DG," he said quietly.

"We're supposed to be a married couple," she said walking forward.

He stopped her at arm's length, "And you're probably the next queen of the O.Z." he continued in that quiet voice. It was level, calm, and unrelenting, and it was killing her resolve.

"That's irrelevant and you've already used that excuse."

"It's still true, and I want more than a night in bed with you," there was a hint of hurt in that soft, steady voice.

She let her weight lean against the hands holding her back and watched heat flare up in his eyes. "That's a poetic way of saying it has to be more than lust. And I agree or I wouldn't have frozen up the night I dreamt about Susan and Airek and found you and me instead. I told you I love you, Wyatt, and I want you. I don't let go of a man I want; not when he's admitted to wanting me back."

"DG," he said softly almost desperately still holding her away from him.

"Come on, Wyatt." She smiled mischievously, "Or I'll have to start teasing you about your age." He groaned and sat back on the bed cradling his face in his hands.

"You have a talent for annihilating the mood," he said between his hands.

"Really?" she asked plopping down beside him and turning to face him.

He let his hands fall, "No," and then gave her a slow, devilish smile.

Cain didn't smile much, so each curve of the lips was a small pleasure. This one made her heart do triple flips, and it was unsettling her. She swallowed, and his smile widened. "Could you make sure nobody hears us, Sweetheart?"

Az had taught her how to make a barrier; she claimed it was a technique DG created when they were little and playing a game akin to hide and seek. DG was excellent at picking hiding spots, but she couldn't stop herself from laughing whenever Az got close. Therefore, she'd designed a hiding spell, so Az couldn't see, hear, feel, or even smell her. She was going to tell Cain this, but she only managed to perform the spell and nod.

Her set a hand on either side of her and pushed them both onto the bed keeping his eyes locked on hers. She scooted back, and he followed her. His eyes stayed on hers as he leaned in and gave her an exquisitely gentle kiss. It was soft, gentle, and endearing, and it left her full and yet craving more.

She snuck her arms round his neck and let her fingers curl through his short hair. The feel of it made her fingers tingle, and her lips parted slightly. He slipped his tongue in, and she was gone. And the man was still being slow and gentle! His hand feathered its way up her side tickling her slightly; she giggled into the kiss. He smiled against her mouth, and then his hands locked onto her waist as his hips rocked against hers. She saw stars.

She could feel him even with their clothes providing a barrier. She tried to wrap her legs around his, but they tangled in her nightgown. He pulled out of the kiss and looked down at her in amusement.

"Keep it slow, Sweetheart," he teased eyes alight with humor, "you wouldn't want to be accused of clumsiness in bed." She gave him a half glare and freed her leg, hooked it around his thigh, watched his eyes darken, and then flipped them both over. She smiled triumphantly at him, and his expression turned to surprise and then back to hungry humor. She hiked her nightgown up just enough to straddle him then laid herself over him and kissed his neck. Opening her mouth, she lathed the area and sucked gently then paused and breathed on the spot, and his whole body shuddered. She gave a breathy victory laugh.

He brushed the back of his hand against the side of her face, and she leaned into the sweet gesture. Then his expression turned wicked as his hands wrapped around her breasts through her nightgown, and he circled both nipples with his thumbs. They hardened under his touch, and his thumbs continued their torment as his hands squeezed and rubbed her. She gasped and shuddered. She couldn't think; her mind flashed white in ecstasy. She leaned into his touch willing him to continue. He smiled even more wickedly, and if the pleasure would let up, she might be able to get annoyed enough to punish him. Right now, though, she needed to be closer.

She bucked against him. His hands stopped, and his smile disappeared as his eyes darkened. He let her go only long enough to remove her nightgown then turned them over again. He kissed her again, possessively this time. His clothes were the only things that separated them now, and she wanted him out of them.

She tore at the buttons of his shirt, fumbling a little since most of her attention was still be taken by that incredible mouth of his. His fingers joined hers, and it took an effort of will not to link them. The last button was undone. She was pulling his shirt free of his pants; he was shrugging out of it. He still hadn't stopped kissing her. Her fingers unfastened the button on his pants; her hands pulled them down. And he stopped.

She stared up at him in shock, panting, terrified that he was going to get off the bed. But his eyes were still dark, and they were looking at her. In an absurdly late show of shyness, she blushed. He looked mystified as he studied her, and her whole body reacted to the heat and wonder in his gaze. "You're beautiful," he breathed.

She looked up at him. He was still braced above her, and every muscle was visible. She let her gaze wonder slowly wanting to memorize every bit of him, every inch, every scar. He had so many; they were incredible: proof of a life spent fighting for the things he cherished. In her dreams, he'd been flawless; now he was scarred and real and dear. Unable to stop herself, she traced a finger down a thin scar running the length of his abdomen, and he shuddered under the touch.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down for another kiss. It was gentle but full of promise. He slid into her gently, and she stiffened with the pain gasping into his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her and broke the kiss then gave her another on the forehead and then the tip of her nose. Slowly her body relaxed, and pleasure took the place of pain. She wrapped her legs around him, and he began to move, slow at first and then quickly. One of his hands moved to readjust her legs, so he settled deeper inside her. Pleasure shot through her. He moved faster and faster, and she did her best to keep pace. The world began to blur and glow and then burst into a blinding light as she fell, but he caught her and thrust again before he shuddered and collapsed on top of her.

They stayed that way for several moments, and then he pulled out of her and rolled onto his side bringing her with him. He left one hand draped across her waist as the other gentle massaged her shoulder. He was wearing the most ridiculous grin. She loved it, and she managed a lazy smile for him in return.

"You were screaming my name," he said quietly still smiling.

"Was I?" She answered coyly snuggling up to him.

"I liked it." He leaned in and kissed her lightly, and when he leaned back, he looked almost regretful. "I meant to give you foreplay."

She felt her boldness return, "Then we'll just have to try it again."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed the smut, ahem, relations of an intimate nature.

I love reviews, and I would love it if you leave one. Night.


	17. Chapter 17

A put a note up in Chapter 15 too, but for those of you who may have skipped it thinking it sounded familiar, you were right. Evidently I can edit chapters when I'm sleep deprived but have difficulty operating a mouse. The real chapter 15 is up, so if you haven't read it, please do.

And I'm glad you liked the relations of an intimate nature.

On to chapter 17

* * *

The sky was starting to lighten when exhaustion caught up with them. DG decided she preferred insomnia with Cain over sleep. Sleep often meant nightmares, and last night had been empty of them. Still, she drifted off in his arms not long before the first sun rose, and her last memory was his steady breathing and a final instinctive tightening of his arms to pull her closer. She didn't want to fall asleep any other way.

Seconds later, or perhaps hours, she felt herself being roused. Someone was shaking her shoulder, and her eyes opened to a view full of Cain. His lips were quirked in a one-sided smile. The man was handsome when he frowned. Smiling, he was gorgeous. She pulled him down for a kiss. His hand tightened on her shoulder. After a moment, he pulled away.

"We have to get out of bed and get cleaned up," he said before sliding off the bed and standing up still gloriously naked. She felt her body heat up and chastised it. She slithered across the sheets after him and noticed the red stain; when she tried to stand up, her lower body screamed at her. Cain had been in the bathroom connected to their room, but he returned when she thumped ungracefully onto the floor. She tilted her head up at him, not moving. His concerned gazed roamed over her body, and he knelt down to pick her up. She thought about feeling indignant then remembered the sensation she'd had when she'd stood up. She was sore, but it hadn't hit till she'd moved.

He set her gently into a bath he'd drawn then slid in behind her and started to wash them both. He scrubbed very carefully between her legs, wincing with her as the washcloth touched the sorest part. He moved up her torso and had the audacity to fondle her breasts a little before he moved to her arms.

As her started washing her hair, he said, "You're going to hate me when we start riding."

"I hate you now," she said relaxing against his chest. The stiffness and soreness was just a dull ache now, and she loved the way he was touching her so casually yet intimately as if they'd always been this close. She surprised herself by saying, "Don't leave me, Tin Man."

"I wouldn't leave you, DG," he said quietly behind her as he started washing his own body.

"You did before," she said it without accusation, but his body stiffened anyway. She sunk one hand beneath the water, found his free hand, and linked it with hers. She wrapped the other around the wrist that held the washcloth.

"I won't again," he promised still in that quiet voice.

When they had finished washing, had dried off, and were getting dressed (oddly without reaching for each other), he came up behind her as she was pulling on her boots and embraced her from behind. "Princess," he said to her ear, "we're going to have a world of problems when we get back to the O.Z."

Humor had always served her nicely, and truth worked nearly as well. She tried both, "Wyatt, we've already faced a world of trouble, and I'm pretty sure we're facing some now. By the time we get back to the O.Z., that is if Assun's family doesn't managed to kill us in some horrible Ixian way, we'll be pros at facing worlds of trouble." She tilted her head back to give him a brilliant smile. As many before had, a thought slipped past the filter in her brain and out her mouth, "And I can lighten the severity of peoples' reactions by teasing your son about how great sex with his father is." He groaned and let go of her. She watched him pick up his hat and duster and leave the room. He wouldn't be ashamed to tell Jeb, would he? Something in her stomach tightened. Still staring at the empty doorway, she tried not to think that their romance might last only as long as their little adventure. She shook her head clear, pulled on her own jacket, and followed him.

The others said nothing about whose room she'd spent the night in though she was certain they all knew. She did catch Raw glancing at her from time to time though. He'd given her a hug that morning as he always did, but when they'd separated, he looked at her quizzically. She watched to see if he reacted the same way to Cain, but the viewer's attention remained focused, albeit subtly, on her. Strangely it bothered her that Cain was acting no different today. He was still in the lead watchful as ever. That was smart, yet she was still angry because her own nagging doubt hadn't disappeared.

They stopped to rest and eat near midday. As they ate, the tin man started questioning Assun about her home. "You said you and Raw should stay behind. Where will you stay?"

The young girl looked up from her lunch, "Gavin, my father's steward, has a house on the outskirts of Citi-in. His wife will be there and will be willing to help us. There's a chance Livia will be there too."

"Why?" DG asked.

"She and Gavin's younger brother have been carrying on a relationship for years. But my mother's family hates my father, and Gavin and his brother are my father's closest friends, so Livia would never be allowed to marry Eri. However, Eri's connection with my father is only one objection. The other is that their relationship is believed to have begun when she was quite young," she bent her head down and turned pink when they looked at her questioningly, "inappropriately young," she muttered. "Still, she refuses to marry, and her parents have never been able to prove the relationship in order to end it."

"You better tell us what caused this animosity," Cain said definitely but without threat, "before we risk our necks."

Assun sighed, "It'd take too long to tell you everything, but it stems from my family's magical legacy and my father's knowledge. Both he and his father collected magical items: the book of ancients, potions, amulets, Airek's diary. My father knows more about the use of magic then anyone in IX, possibly further. He covets the knowledge, yet he wants the power too. My family wants the knowledge but is unwilling to share power. Consequently, he keeps his useless store of relics locked away while my family curses him and taunts him with their power. When she didn't receive the witch's power, my mother married him to spite her family. He married her for the connection, and they were both disappointed when they got me. My father escaped having to raise me by hunting around the different lands for talismans and spell books, and when I was eleven, my mother died."

No wonder she hated foreigners. DG wrapped an arm around the younger girl; Assun squirmed a bit in the unexpected embrace.

Raw laughed, "Assun not used to DG yet. Know soon though. Will like DG though life with DG stressful." She glared at the viewer as Assun laughed.

"You explained before why Livia might help us," Glitch said once they had settled down, "but I'm still confused. Wouldn't she feel she was betraying her family?"

"No," Assun shook her head, "she loves Eri and hates the pretension her parents and siblings put on. She thinks they have no right to feel superior when they hardly interact with the community any more. She once accused her father of shaming the Tipp name. She'll like you though," the girl said to DG. "You're a lot like Susan was rumored to be, and Livia idolizes her."

DG stared at her in shock. Cain interrupted her surprise though by suggesting, "Maybe you should try putting those mind blocks on us now."

"Yes," Assun agreed, "Gavin's house is only an hour's walk from here."

DG stood up and raised her hand till it touched Assun's temple. She was embarrassed to see her fingers shake. The girl was smiling at her. God, she didn't look up to her, did she? DG concentrated, and in her mind a translucent cocoon appeared around Assun's head. She opened her eyes momentarily disoriented.

"Do you feel any different?" she asked Assun.

"No. Did it work?"

"I think so," DG answered moving onto to Raw. The viewer purred when she touched him giving her his support. Another cocoon appeared.

"DG do good. Raw feels no cracks." She smiled weakly hoping no one saw her wobble. She wasn't tired, just a little unbalanced.

Glitch was next. The cocoon formed almost instantly. When she opened her eyes, he was giving her a wide Glitch grin, "Thanks for shielding my noggin, shielding my noggin, shield," she bopped him on the arm. He grinned at her; the man had been pretending to Glitch. Assun laughed.

Cain was last. She stood in front of him, and he met her eyes. His were ice blue now. They were still sharp and alert as they had been when she'd released him from the suit, but there was tenderness in them now. She raised her hand and touched it shyly to his temple. He leaned into it and said, "I trust you, Princess." She closed her eyes, formed the cocoon then created one more around her own mind. She opened her eyes. He was still looking at her; her hand hadn't moved. He lifted one of his own hands, wrapped it gently around hers, and pulled them both down.

"It's done," she said to him.

"We better go then," but he kept her gaze a moment longer before letting go of her hand and walking towards his horse.

She rode beside him this time and found herself content to be silent awhile.

They reached Gavin's house late that afternoon. It was a small manor that in no way compared to Finaqua, but it was still tasteful and felt like someone's home. As they approached the front entrance, two women came out. The younger of the two looked like an older, paler version of Assun. She had to be Livia. Seeing them come up the drive to the house, the women stopped, and after a moment, the elder one approached them.

"Your father isn't here Assun," she said warily and yet with kindness.

Assun dismounted and walked up to the woman. "We came here to see you and Livia," she said looking over at her cousin. Livia walked forward hesitantly as if suspecting a trap. When she reached them, she stopped and remained silent. Assun turned to DG, "This is DG, Dorothy Gale, she's the princess of the O.Z. And these are her friends. They need our help."

Livia examined each of them individually letting her eyes stop on Assun. She didn't believe her, so DG slid off her horse and came to stand beside Assun. She heard Cain follow her with Glitch and Raw behind him. She still kept the doll Tutor had returned to her, and she held it out now. It rose and spun as it always had. Whatever Tutor may say in lessons, she paid excellent attention to him and added flare to her demonstration. As the doll spun, it grew lifelike and then stopped spinning. It danced on ballerina toes across the air to Livia and bowed to her. The older girl held out her hand slowly, and the doll danced into it, curtsied, and returned to normal. Livia looked at DG. "What can I do?" she asked.


	18. Chapter 18

Look, it's a winged Sus domestica soaring gracefully through the troposphere. I guess that means I own Tin Man. Wait, nope, it's just a biplane advertising for Hormel. Crap, I don't own Tin Man after all.

* * *

They soon learned that the older woman was Gavin's wife. She invited them in and fed them all. DG groaned at the pleasant fullness in her stomach. Real food. Livia asked almost no questions and listened intently to everything they said. Her stare was making DG nervous, but Assun's cousin did agree to help.

Eri returned after the first sun set, and his brother came in just after. Glitch repeated the story to them. As Livia had, Gavin agreed to help and even offered them lodging, but he kept glancing at Assun. It was easy to see he was glad to see her, but he seemed always on the verge of a confession. He didn't reveal it though. They had supper, and Livia bid them goodnight. She had to return home, but she promised to search for the book.

By the time they were preparing for bed, DG was confused. Her dreams had made her anxious, but every Tipp she'd met so far was kind and wonderful though their admiration of her was unnerving. It was like having her own DG cult. They were good women, yet they both spoke so ill of the rest of the family. She trusted the cousins, but the inconsistencies were strange. She felt the Tipps couldn't be what the cousins described them, and she remembered the mix of joy and anxiety Gavin and his wife expressed when interacting with Assun.

As the group was dispersing, Gavin caught her attention. He motioned for her to join him. His wife and brother were gone so were Assun and Raw. She took a step forward and felt pressure on her arm. It was Cain's hand. He nodded to her, and they followed Gavin into a smaller room. She looked over her shoulder where Glitch was watching them. He was Ambrose now, and she could see him studying the situation. However, he gave her a light smile and left them alone.

Gavin looked curiously at Cain as if he might say something, but when he spoke it was to DG, "I know where Assun's father keeps the slippers. I'll tell you where they are, but I won't get them for you."

"We didn't expect you to," Cain said. His tone was blank.

"He's not a thief," Gavin snapped then calmed, "He's a good man, just . . . prideful." He looked in the direction Assun had gone, "He doesn't know how to treat her; he never has. Don't take her back to the O.Z. with you, at least not before telling him. It would kill him," he paused, "it hurt him when she left the city. He knew what her cousins did. She didn't come to him for help though, didn't even say goodbye." His jaw twitched.

DG spoke as kindly as she could, "Would he give us the slippers if we asked for them?"

Gavin shook his head, "No. He might have given them to her if she'd asked, but with the witch in her now and with no power, it's too dangerous."

"Why?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. He tried to tell me once, but I didn't understand. It has something to do with releasing the witch, I think. I guess it's dangerous for a Tipp woman to have the witch's power AND wear the slippers."

"Does she know?" Cain asked quietly.

"No."

DG reached for his hand and shook it. "We'll look after her."

He gripped her hand. "I think you will," he said and then turned to Cain, "he's kept everything in her room since she left. There are two lamps above her bed. Pull the right one out, and a passage will open to another room. The slippers are in there. Good luck." When she turned to leave, Cain stayed with Gavin a moment whispering to him. She couldn't hear what he said, but Gavin nodded. Cain joined her.

She was supposed to share Assun's room. She didn't intend to. Cain's hand had reached for hers as they walked down the hall, and he hadn't let go yet though they'd passed Assun's room. It seemed he didn't intend for her to sleep there either.

As they passed Raw's room, she pulled Cain to a stop and knocked. The viewer opened the door bleary-eyed. The room was dark behind him. She felt a small stab of guilt. "DG okay?" he asked. She nodded then pulled her hand from Cain's and used both hands to slip off the emerald. Both men stared at her in shock. She reached forward to place the emerald around Raw's neck, but the viewer stepped back.

"It's alright," she said soothingly, "it won't bite, and it's just till we get back. I don't feel comfortable wearing it to the Tipps' manor." Raw nodded his understanding, stepped forward, and let her slide the pendant over his head. "Don't tell anyone you have it, not even Assun." He looked at her questioningly. "I trust her and them," she assured him, "but it's safer if it's kept secretly. Safer for you, for her, for us." He nodded again. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Thanks Raw. Good night."

"Night, DG. Cain." Cain tipped his hat to the viewer; DG hugged him.

As they entered their room, he closed it behind them and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back against him; he breathed her in. "Put up the barrier," he commanded huskily. She put it up. Still holding her, he walked them toward the bed, turned her, and sat her down. She reached up, removed his hat, and fitted it over her own head. He chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Tilting the brim up, he kissed her, hot and deep. Her lips parted in a moan, and his tongue slipped in to meet her own. She was pushing his duster down his shoulders, and he had one of her arms out of her jacket already. It was a race of buttons, zippers, and catches. She kept giggling which put her behind, so she pulled him against her and rocked into him. His fingers froze where they were pulling down her jeans. She used his distraction to get his pants undone and down then smiled triumphantly. He pushed her onto to bed and yanked off the jeans.

"That was cheating, DG," he said setting the hat aside and exploring every inch of her with his hands. She shuddered and bucked beneath him.

"So punish me," she managed breathlessly gripping his shoulders. He did, by going tortuously slow. Starting at the tips of her ears and making their way to her toes, his hands massaged and caressed their way down her body, and his mouth followed them pausing wherever her body gave a special reaction. He was terrible. It felt wonderful. His fingers danced below her navel and entered her heat. Her body shuddered. He pulled his fingers out then slid them back in. As he continued the rhythm, his other hand nudged her legs farther apart, so he could push deeper. The orgasm shot through her, and she stilled when it had passed.

"Feeling repentant yet?" he smirked. Repentant? About what? Had they been talking? The answer started to slowly coalesce, but her thoughts scattered again when his mouth took over for his hands.

Later, when her brain started working again, she teased between gasps, "What if I'm not?"

He gave another smirk and moved to her thighs. When he was down to her ankles and she was shivering from the sensation, she realized it wasn't fair. He had to feel this, so she pulled her feet free. He looked up at her hurt. She smiled and pulled him up for a kiss as her hands snaked their way to his ears. She caressed them then nibbled gently on one ear lobe as her hands went lower. She got as far as his neck before he was gripping her hands and panting. "You can't do that, Sweetheart."

"Can't you take your own punishment, Tin Man," she purred. He stared at her with darkened eyes, breathing heavily, and not letting go of her hands. Then he was kissing her. His arms wrapped around her pulling her close as if he were desperate to feel every inch of her. It wasn't close enough. Her fingers grasped at his shoulders; she felt her fingernails scrape his back. Her legs went around him and pulled him into her. There was no pain this time. The pleasure was instant, and she immediately began to rock with him, faster and faster. She distantly heard him yelling her name. She pulled him closer, let him in deeper, and her world fell apart.

Her mind was still fuzzy awhile later as they lay together. She let her hands roam over his chest and down his arm. His hand was playing with her hair. "We need to sleep tonight," he didn't sound happy with this idea.

She laughed, "Then I guess we'll have to make ourselves tired." She rolled on top of him and let her fingers and mouth pick up where he'd stopped her.

They fell asleep afterwards and then woke and made love again. By morning, they'd managed a few broken hours of sleep, but DG didn't feel tired. Better still, she didn't feel sore, and a large breakfast was waiting for them downstairs.

* * *

Mmm, sex and good food. And now it's time to meet the Tipps.

As always (review), hope you're (reviewing) enjoying the story.


	19. Chapter 19

The coastal town of Citi-in wasn't far from Gavin's house. DG was surprised she hadn't smelled the sea last night, but her mind had been rather occupied. When they came in sight of the ocean, Cain and Glitch stopped. They stared. Watching them, DG could picture them as young boys before they'd stepped into authority and before her childhood mistake had ripped apart their lives. During his worst glitches, the advisor was childlike in his awe of the world as he was now, but she'd never seen innocent wonder in Cain's face before. She felt her body go soft and warm at the sight and couldn't resist wrapping her arms around him. He turned to stare at her in confusion. The innocent wonder was still there, and her heart thudded at having it directed at her.

They'd been given directions to both Assun's house and the Tipps' manor. As soon as they entered town though, they found that the directions were not necessary. Both houses were right on the coast though on opposite sides of the village, and both stood taller and grander than the buildings behind them. The Tipp manor was nearly twice as big as Assun's father's house and even after centuries in the salt air was beautiful to behold. The manor was loved while Assun's house was only preserved. At Cain's insistence, they decided to go see Assun's father first.

He wasn't there, but Gavin let them in telling them they had at most an hour before the man returned. Cain turned to DG and Glitch. "You two wait outside. Go to the inn we passed on the way here and wait for me." DG didn't argue which seemed to surprise both men. They looked at her expectantly.

"Be careful," she said and held a hand up to Cain's chest. Her palm glowed; it was a simple protection spell in case Assun's father had opted for extra security. The tin man's eyebrows lifted in surprise then he gave her a small smile. She returned it.

Beside her, Glitch rolled his eyes. "From brooding and silent to gushy and romantic." He pulled on DG's arm, "Come on Doll, before he starts reciting poetry, or we'll have to give him up as a lost cause."

She smiled and choked down a laugh. Cain glared and said thinly, "Get going, Headcase." Gavin watched them in a low-key horrified shock. He was still staring when she and Glitch left.

Once outside, she steered him and their horses toward the other end of the town. He gave her a questioning look but didn't try to stop her. Yet. "DG, the inn is back that way." He pointed to it for emphasis.

"Yeah, I know, and the Tipp manor is this way. If we go now, we can cut our time in half." She said this matter-o-factly. The thing about Glitch, and to a lesser extent, Ambrose, was that he generally followed her direction. Raw did too. Cain, on the other hand, was overprotective and would happily lock her in a comfy prison cell for the rest of her life to ensure she stayed out of trouble. If he did follow her, it was because she was already ten steps ahead at a fast run. This had led to the philosophy that she should follow her impulses because a head start was a sure way of killing opposition since Cain would be too busy running to keep up to argue.

Of course, Glitch knew the consequence of this philosophy as well as she did. "Cain's going to shoot somebody when he finds out, and it's going to be me."

Her tin man did tend to overreact. She passed the thought off. "Nonsense. If he shoots anyone, it'll be a Tipp. Besides, he's far more likely to spend half an hour yelling at and lecturing me, and by that time, all he'll have left for you is a glare."

"Which is bad enough," but Glitch grinned a little when he said it. He still wasn't trying to stop her. Good old Glitch.

It was a ten minute walk to the other house, and she figured they had at least half an hour before Cain realized they weren't at the inn. Upon their arrival, a boy dutifully came and collected their horses with a silent bow. They were ushered in by a butler, seated in a parlor, and served tea by a young woman. The formality was already killing DG. And she might be the next queen of the O.Z. Though traveling with Ahamo meant a number of uncomfortable recollection sessions, it also delayed her fulltime entrance into royal life. If the man knew about formality, he gave no evidence of it in the presence of his daughter, so Tutor and her mother were slowly weaning her into courtly life during her brief stops at Finaqua. She still wasn't very good at it, and she squirmed when half a dozen Tipps entered acting out perfect high society etiquette.

"Good afternoon," a white-haired dowager said, "may I have the pleasure of knowing the names of our visitors?" She curtsied expertly, and the glint in her eye suggested that their names better be awe-inspiringly good for them to have the audacity to make themselves comfortable in her living room.

Glitch stood at their arrival, and DG shot up a second later. He bowed elegantly. This seemed to surprise the Tipps. "Good afternoon, gracious lady," he bowed to her, "gentlemen," another bow but not as deep, "ladies." A hint of smile swept across several faces. They liked this kind of guest. "My name is Les Marbethano, Duke of Dearways, and humble servant to Queen Lavender Eyes of the Outer Zone." Foremost in the Tipps' expressions was shock. "The lady beside me," he nodded to DG who managed a halfway decent curtsy, "is Angela Westwood, the queen's historian. Are we speaking to the lady of the house?"

"Indeed, sir," answered the woman who had first spoken, "I am Yvene Tipp. I'm afraid I must admit to some confusion. Though we pride ourselves on remaining aware of all important events both in and outside IX, it was our understanding that the Sorceress was in control of the Outer Zone." It was said politely, but inside the phrasing was a dare to correct her.

He did. He explained eloquently and extensively how the O.Z. had been liberated from the witch's control while remaining quite vague and including almost no names or details. He then told the Tipps that he and his companion were emissaries sent to speak with the most distinguished Ixian family about starting peaceful relations between the two countries. It was a brilliant and flawless performance that was one hundred percent Ambrose. She struggled not to applaud. Not for the first time, DG wondered if his latest glitchings weren't feigned. By the time he finished speaking, the Tipps smiled at him with fanned-up pride.

As he had talked, DG had scanned the faces in front of them. She couldn't be sure since they would be older now, but she didn't think Felice or her brother were there. This caused a strange bit of uneasiness. Something inside her, possibly her instincts or her magic, was screaming that it was imperative to know where they were. She did feel somewhat better when Livia appeared at the doorway three-quarters of the way through Glitch's explanation and gave her an almost imperceptible wink. DG forced herself not to show any recognition back. They still had an audience.

There was silence as Glitch closed his mouth. Yvene started to fill it, but Livia beat her. "I'm sorry, sir, you must be at the wrong house. It's been quite some time since the Tipps have been a distinguished family." There was acid and reproach in that statement, and all of it was directed at her family.

Some of them flushed with embarrassment or anger. Others, including Yvene, grew still and tense. "Livia," she said in a tight voice without turning to face the younger woman, "please escort Lady Westwood here on a tour of the manor. I wish to speak with the duke. I trust you will do . . . credit to the family name while accompanying our guest."

"Of course," Livia answered in an equally tight voice, "Please do come, Lady Westood," she said scathingly to DG, "and see how the living clutch to the achievements of the dead when they have none of their own."

The Tipps flinched. DG curtsied and followed Livia out of the room. Behind her, she heard Yvene begin an apology for her brazen granddaughter that included an assurance that such an incident would not be repeated.

"I thought I did brilliantly," Livia whispered gleefully to DG when they were alone. All traces of bitterness and anger were gone. The woman looked almost blissful.

"Do you always act that way around strangers?" DG asked raising an eyebrow.

"Of course," replied Livia happily. Her expression darkened, "They pretend to be great when no one in the past century has done anything noteworthy. Airek and Susan dedicated their lives to helping others as did their children. They earned the fortune they made. Now, though, we exalt out ancestors and play at superiority by becoming recluses. They mock me when I help the townspeople, and they berate Assun. I don't think reputations should be inherited, and I have no qualms about telling my family that."

"That's admirable," DG said as they walked.

"No, Eri is admirable. Assun is admirable, and you and your friends are worthy of worship. I deserve neither respect nor worship. My aid is not consistent, so at least my protests can be." Livia's head was turned down; her hair cloaked her face.

DG remembered the Tipps' responses to Livia's comments, "They listen, you know, even though they don't like it. Be a little more resolute, and you might change their minds." The woman looked at her. DG nodded her head in encouragement, and a thoughtful if slightly unbelieving look crossed over Livia's face.

They had walked upstairs and into a different wing as they talked. Livia had made no attempt at a tour, but she stopped now in front of a door. "Try in here," she said. "It's Veren's study. He and Felice are always in here. I don't think even Grandmother knows about everything they do. I'll keep watch at the end of the hall and signal if I see anyone." She started to walk away. "Be careful."

DG slipped inside the room. She stopped. It was overwhelming. Even the sorceress would be jealous. Books and potions lined every wall. Apparatuses covered the tables along with notes and complexes of tubes. The only ornamentations though were a set of ten matching black mirrors that reflected nothing and a map of the O.Z., the Desert, the lands surrounding it, and the outer sea. She stood dazed a moment. What was she here for? Oh, yeah, the book. She brought up the image from her dream and looked around. She looked again. Damn. It wasn't there.

She walked back for the door and reached for the handle. Behind her, there was a swooshing sound like a large block of wood being swung on a hinge across carpet. "We have a guest," said a female voice behind her, and all ten mirrors flashed at once.


	20. Chapter 20

DG groaned. Her head was still fuzzy from sleep as she kicked at the covers. She sat up and swung one leg over the side before she realized she was in her bed in Kansas. The panic set in. She vaulted out of bed and down the stairs to find her nurture units eating lunch.

"Baby girl," Popiscle beamed at her though there seemed to be a hint of fear in his expression, "you're finally up."

"I want you to stop this," DG said nearly growling, "Now!" The anger was keeping the panic barely in check.

"Stop what, Baby girl?" her father continued. He stood up and reached out a hand to her. She jumped back.

"The witch tried this on me already," DG shot back inching away from Popiscle's concerned and hurt look. "It didn't work then and it won't now!"

"Oh, DG," she spun around to face her mother. Her mother's face was also concerned, but a heavy layer of fear was there as well. DG's heart stopped as she realized the terror was on her behalf. "Not another nightmare, DG," she pleaded reaching out. DG hopped away and felt her back connect with Popisicle's outstretched hand. Oh God, oh God, oh God! Her mother was speaking again in the soft, soothing voice reserved for talking to the mentally unbalanced. "The medication was supposed to stop this. Please tell me you haven't been not taking it again. DG, I can't stand to hear you say we aren't your parents again. Please, please." She walked carefully toward DG holding out shaking hands.

"But you're not," she said in a small voice. Wyatt! If ever there was a time for her magic to pull him to her side, this was it. Popisicle grabbed onto her arms. She twisted free and backed up against the wall on the other side of the room. She concentrated, tried to focus her light, couldn't feel any. Raw, Glitch! Wyatt! The terror was breaking through.

"DG!" her father nearly yelled. "Stop hurting your mother. I love your stories, but this has gone too far." He was moving hesitantly toward her.

"Please," her mother begged also approaching, "no more stories about the O.Z. No more screams in the night for Glitch or Raw or Wyatt. We're here, DG. We're real, and we want you here. But the doctors won't let you stay with us if you keep insisting – "

Before the panic overwhelmed her, she clutched at the fleeting certainty and anger still in her and started swinging. Her fist connected with Popisicle's jaw, and she saw and heard it slam out of its socket as his face bent unnaturally in pain and shock.

The world went white then black then gray. Her vision swam with hazy blobs then as her surroundings became less blurry she winced at the sharp pain in her right hand.

Somewhere below her came a series of short sounds that were halfway between sobs and growls. They belonged to a man, and it wasn't Popsicle. Relief flooded her followed by a dark, unnatural calm as she remembered the mirrors. One of them came into focus, and she realized she was still in Veren's study. She was sitting up on one of the tables, and there were two Tipps in the room with her.

One was the man lying on the floor cradling his jaw and making the strange, almost inhuman sounds of one who is in great pain and whose mouth is currently incapable of uttering coherent words. The other was a woman maybe a year older than herself holding a vial in one hand.

DG tried to get off the table to hit her, but her body wasn't working right. She managed to fall off the table before she felt the vial slam into her back and shatter. There were several stabs of tiny pain as glass imbedded itself in her skin then she felt a rope grow and wrap around her like a snake. Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm. She fought her mind away from the burn of the rope and the returning panic and focused on Tutor's voice. "Concentrate, DG. Let the light flow through you." She concentrated, but as in her dream, there was no light. She had no power.

She let anger take over again distantly aware that the woman was trying to speak to her. She struggled violently. The ropes tightened. She hissed in pain. She focused her mind. The man was down. She could still hear his unintelligible curses from the floor on the other side of the table. The woman was in the opposite direction. Bracing herself, DG rolled, flipped, and twisted her roped-up body in a full body kick. Her head banged against a counter, but she felt her calves connect with the woman's feet and felt and heard the woman fall over her. Still a little dazed from whatever they had done to her and from the collision with the counter, she was only half aware of the scream the woman had uttered. There were several thuds as various parts of the woman's falling body hit the table DG had been laying on followed by a swish as she sank to the floor, and finally a whomp when the woman hit. Unlike the man though, the woman could still speak, and her speech was mostly half-sobbed, half-screamed curses.

DG could see the door. In her mind, it seemed logical that she could not only reach the door but escape through it as well by just rolling. Therefore, she rolled. When something slammed into her left thigh, she stopped. It was the woman's heel. DG writhed in pain. She didn't know her body could hurt this much. Her thigh felt like it should be spewing blood, the ropes burned everywhere, and her hand alternated between numbness and pulses of pain. Worse still, she felt exhausted. This fight wouldn't last much longer, and that man wouldn't stay down forever. The woman kicked her stomach, and her whole body curled up in pain. The ropes tightened. Wyatt, please. There was wetness on her cheeks that she hoped was tears.

"You're quite a witch," the woman snarled. She was still in pain herself. "Even without your powers, you continue to fight." She added another blow to the stomach. DG felt blood rise up in the back of her throat. She looked up and tried valiantly to glare at the woman. This was Felice. Years older, but the malice and haughtiness were unmistakable. Behind her, DG heard the man getting up. She twisted to look at him. That was Veren. There was murder in his eyes. Even with his hand supporting it, his jaw hung unevenly, and blood twisted in little rivulets down the hand holding it. Another kick slammed into her right calf. She was going to die, DG realized. They were going to kill her. She pushed that thought away and turned back to Felice.

"How did you know I was a witch?" DG asked. It came out breathy from the pain but at least it didn't waver.

"Our family's been collecting magical items for centuries," Felice explained eyes glowing maliciously. "You don't think we wouldn't have acquired at least one that could detect the presence of magic, do you?" She smiled; it was like staring at a hyena. "Did you come to steal our magic?" This was said almost kindly. "I guess we beat you to it." She grinned again.

The next kick didn't come from Felice. Hers caused bruises; this one broke bones, the ones in her lower left leg. She felt the bone shatter, and a moment afterwards, she felt the pain. It had one benefit. It overrode every other pain in her body, and she didn't try to stop the sobs it caused. Wyatt.

"DG!"

* * *

Sorry, DG. Uh, again.

I tortured her at the 1/3 mark, and here I am doing it again at the 2/3 milestone. This isn't a death fic though, so you'll be happy to know I won't kill her at the end just to be consistent. I don't like those types of stories. It's like in Titanic where he spends the whole movie avoiding death and then turns into a human popsicle in the last ten minutes. Seriously, he could have squeezed onto that plank with her and generated more body heat. But I rant. Sorry if I insulted anyone who likes the ending of that movie; didn't mean to.

Reviews are wonderful.


	21. Chapter 21

Her name reverberated through the door. It came from down the hall, and even across the distance and through the wood, she could hear the desperation, anger, and resolve in it. The sound had momentarily immobilized Felice and Veren. She took advantage of their shock. "Wyatt!" she screamed.

Felice moved to kick her again, but the wood of the door was already splintering as the sound of a gunshot echoed around the room. The door swung open, and Felice only just managed to avoid being slammed by it. She stared at the man entering the room in terror.

It took half a second for Cain to find DG, and it took even less for him to tackle Veren to the floor and start punching. DG watched Cain's fury being unleashed in utter silence. Even her pain was temporarily forgotten. The man knew how to channel emotion, and right now all his emotions were being channeled into his fists. She couldn't stop watching at least until movement on her other side caught her attention. Felice had been staring as well, in horror. She had another vial now. There wasn't enough time to scream a warning, and Felice was too far away to knock over by rolling again.

DG watched in helpless terror as the vial was raised, but it shattered on the floor by Felice's feet as the woman herself crumbled. Behind her Cain had stopped his assault to see what had happened. The crash may have been what got his attention or maybe it was the thud that had precluded it. Standing just behind where Felice had been was Livia swaying slightly and holding an old and heavy tome that DG recognized as the Book of Ancients. Part of Livia's hair was matted. With blood, thought DG, because a small stream of it crept down her face near her left ear. She leaned back against the wall, closed her eyes, and clutched the book to her chest.

Cain appeared beside her. "DG?" he whispered. Right now, his attention was on her face. He looked liked he was afraid to touch her.

"Hey, Wyatt," she smiled at him. It cost her. The body doesn't like to be smiling when it's supposed to be grimacing, but he was a gorgeous sight at that moment. "Could you untie me? I want to hug you."

He almost smiled as he pulled out his knife. She surprised herself by being thrilled that magically grown ropes could be cut with regular knives. Cain was efficient, and the rope was off her in moments. She didn't move her legs. The pain was warningly intense there, but she flung her arms around him and thought never letting go was a splendid idea. He returned the embrace; it was so tight it hurt. That could be because of the rope burns and glass shards though.

Behind them, a small groan came from the apparently still alive Veren. Hearing it kicked her rational thought processes back into operation. They had to get out, but first, "You aren't allowed to take the anger I know is coming out on Glitch. This wasn't his fault." His body stiffened. The panic flooded back. "Where is Glitch?" there was a note of hysteria there.

In answer, someone went sailing past the doorway. Glitch walked in a moment later looking smug. When he saw DG, his expression twisted into concern. He rushed toward her, "DG!"

"I'm alright, Glitch," she grimaced still holding onto Cain. "Actually, that's a lie. I think I'd like to see Raw now."

"The healer?" Livia asked with her eyes still closed, "I think I'd like to see him too?"

By now, a number of terrified faces had appeared in the open doorway. She recognized most of them; they had been part of the Tipp welcome committee.

Yvene opened her mouth to speak. Livia cut her off, "I told you this family isn't worthy of its name." Her voice wasn't reproachful now, just tired. "Your beloved grandchildren having been stealing magic and were about to add murder to their crimes." She pushed off the wall, wobbled to Yvene, and looked at her. "The woman who was introduced to you as Angela Westwood is actually Dorothy Gale, the future queen of the O.Z. She just saved her own country from one evil witch, and she had to come here because your grandchildren, you dear, sweet, glorious favorites, wanted to play with the powers of another." She took an unsteady step forward, and Glitch rose to steady her. The Tipps parted before them. Yvene had gone white.

Cain stood up and pulled DG with him. Her whole body convulsed when she tried to put weight on her left leg, so he picked her up and carried her. They followed Glitch and Livia down the stairs and out the door. No one stopped them, and when they arrived outside, a coach was brought instead of their horses. They got into it silently, and Glitch gave the driver directions.

Inside the coach, DG lay back against Cain's chest. His arms were keeping her upright, and his body was rigid enough to crack. The pain in her leg had dimmed just enough so she could feel the rest of her injuries. Gritting her teeth, she tried really hard to steady her breathing.

Glitch sat upright across from them while Livia had resumed her closed eye leaning stance.

"What happened, Doll? You and Livia hadn't been on your 'tour' very long when Cain burst in looking for you. When he saw you weren't with me, I told him where you'd gone, and he started tearing through the house looking for you. I thought everything was fine until I heard you scream his name, and one of the servants tried to stop me from getting to you."

Livia spoke first though her eyes stayed closed. Her breaths came in irregular gasps too. "I showed her to my cousins' study where I thought the book was and then went on lookout out in the hall. I noticed then that Felice's door was open and went inside. The book was right there; it was open. I picked it up and saw her disappearing behind a trap door I concluded went to the study, but before I could leave to warn DG, something collided with my skull. I think Veren hit me with a bookend."

DG told her part of the story next. It came in spurts, and she had to stop several times to steady her breathing. She included almost everything: the black mirrors, her dream of being back in Kansas, her loss of power, and the ensuing struggle. She left out the part about thinking she was going to die. Though still warm and comforting, Cain had tensed even further, and every time she winced, a shudder ran through his body.

He would be livid later, but first, he had to get her back to Raw, had to make sure she was well again. He had been afraid. He had seen her bloody and helpless and near death. When she was safe and healthy again, he would be furious, because being angry was better than being afraid, and she would let him be angry. As long as he didn't leave her, she'd let him rage at her forever.

First though, she had to ask, "Did you get the slippers?"

His voice was flat and empty when he answered, "I got the slippers."


	22. Chapter 22

So the Tipps have made their appearance. Like the Gales, they're a matriarchal family, but as Livia says, they haven't handled the responsibility of magic very well.

* * *

"Damn it, DG! What the hell were you thinking?!" It was four hours later. They had come back to a house full of concerned people. She was still without magic, but her wounds, including her broken leg, as well as Livia's were gone. Thank you, Raw. Livia was staying at Gavin's. She had intended to anyway, but Eri had demanded it when he'd seen the blood on her face. Glitch was wisely avoiding Cain. DG hadn't been more than two feet from him since they left the Tipps' manor; she wondered if he'd ever let her be alone again. That would be a wonderful thought eventually, but right now she needed solitude and a bed. She'd been exhausted when they'd left the manor, so standing upright now without swaying was taking every bit of strength and concentration she had. It wasn't fun, but she owed him this.

"We wouldn't have gotten the book if you had come with us from the start," this was true. Cain would never have let her go on a tour alone, and Yvene wouldn't have ordered Livia to give the tour if Cain was supposed to be on it. Letting an upstart child give a tour to a female historian was acceptable. Having her give the tour to that historian _and a _well trained and obviously observant fighter was not acceptable. There was no telling what information he might tell the queen of the O.Z. She didn't explain this. He probably knew it too, and he was already so angry. However, the ice in his eyes managed to glisten even more at her comment.

He was pacing. "I think you enjoy giving me heart attacks. Did you think that when I got to the inn and found that you weren't there, had never even gone there, that I'd sit around and wait calmly and patiently for you? I know you!" This was said as an accusation. He stopped pacing to face her. "You throw yourself into trouble out of guilt and a good heart."

"I'm not going to sit still while other people fix problems. I'm not helpless!" she snapped. She still had a little anger left.

"No, you're reckless," he gripped her arms and locked her soft blue eyes with his icy ones, "I watched one woman I loved being beaten to death. I watched it for eight annuals. I'm not going to let that happen again." And that was the heart of it. He was a tin man to his core; he hated suffering and hated being helpless to stop it even more. It didn't matter that Adora and Jeb hadn't actually died that day; he thought they had. And he'd had to watch it over and over again. And she went off without telling him, without giving him the chance to protect her. She'd made him helpless by not asking for his help.

She willed herself to focus; this was important. "You wouldn't love me if I didn't try to solve problems myself. If I let you make me perfectly safe, you'd hate me, and I'd hate you." His jaw clenched. She reached out and touched his face, "And you're not going to watch me die. You already know that when I have magic, I call you to me. It's instinctive, and you won't get a better example of reliance and trust than that. It even seems that you have a sixth sense where I'm concerned. Today, you appeared exactly when I needed you."

He growled his disagreement. "I told you I know you. I know where to look because I know how your mind works."

She shrugged. She really needed a bed; it was taking too much thought to stay upright and speak intelligently. "Maybe," she agreed, "that is, I agree that you know me. I know you too, and I know you'll be there. You always have been; you always will be. I know what I did today was stupid, but it's over. It worked, and it's over. Tomorrow when I'm not about to pass out, we'll get my magic working again and then I'll stick to you like super glue."

His whole body stilled at that, and his eyes unfroze. After a moment of silence, he looked at her with an unreadable expression. "For the rest of our lives?" he asked, his eyes strangely intense now.

She stared at him and sucked in a breath. He couldn't mean what she thought he meant, could he? "For the rest of our lives," she answered, and he pulled her into his arms.


	23. Chapter 23

One of the downsides to updating so quickly is that I run out of ideas of what to say pre-chapter. Comments aren't necessary, but I feel as if I should put forth some thought. Well, wit isn't an option, and the disclaimer's taken care of. So I'll leave a name instead. Tom Burlinson. He's a star from the 80's who's absolutely sexy when he wears his coat and hat while sitting on a horse, especially a black stallion.

* * *

DG woke in a cocoon of warmth and comfort. Arms were wrapped around her back holding her against a wonderful chest, and breaths feathered across her cheek every time Cain exhaled. It was the perfect way to wake up. She snuggled into him, and his arms tightened in response. He was still asleep.

As she lay there watching him sleep, she remembered last night. Had he proposed to her? That was a lovely thought. Or was he just reinforcing his position as her guardian? That was _not _a lovely thought. It brought other nasty thoughts with it like Jeb hating her for trying to replace his mother, or her parents forbidding the relationship, or Wyatt not wanting to marry her if she was going to be queen. Suddenly, her cocoon of warmth didn't delight her.

It had been such a romantic moment hearing what might have been a proposal. He wasn't mad anymore. They were alone in a room, and no one would hear or interrupt them. It would have been an excellent night if her exhaustion hadn't taken over, so instead of making love with him, she had, gracefully she thought, sunk to the floor fast asleep. Fortunately, though, there had been no dreams.

It was time to get up. Light filtered in through the drapes. She needed to retrieve her magic. The Tipps may have let them go yesterday, but today they would react. DG wished she knew what they were intending to do. Veren and Felice would be conscious by now. Were they still hurt? Or had Yvene found something to heal them? Faced with Livia's accusations and evidence, whose side would the family take? She needed her magic and so did Assun.

She tried to wriggle out of Cain's grip. His hold tightened. "Where do you think you're going, Princess?" he asked voice gruff with sleep. He hadn't opened his eyes yet.

"To get dressed, get breakfast, and unlock my magic," she said cheerfully. She gave him a dazzling smile when his eyes opened to consider her. "Want to join me?"

"I'd rather we stay in bed," he said. He hadn't been teasing her and certainly hadn't meant it _that_ way, but her body reacted anyway. When he felt her stiffen in his arms and saw the heat in her expression, his eyes darkened. She gripped his shoulders as he hauled her to him and kissed her. It was forceful and full of passion. When they stopped for a breath, he choked, "We need to get up, right now."

"Yes we do," she agreed in aroused desperation. They sprang apart and vaulted off either side of the bed. She pulled her clothes on in a rush and didn't dare to look at him until she was fully clothed. They didn't have time for that, and they both knew it. However, this realization didn't stop her insides from fluttering when she turned around and looked at him. He was fully clothed too and wearing his hat and duster. He wore them everyday, but the way the blue ice of his eyes swept her figure hungrily from just below the rim of the fedora was incredibly erotic. She gripped the door knob as heat shot through her again. Across the room, his jaw tightened spasmodically. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, and just to be safe, she pulled up one of her childhood memories with Az. Don't think of anything arousing, she ordered herself. After a few moments, her body returned to normal. With a sigh, she opened her eyes. Cain was standing a few feet in front of her. His expression was carefully blank. Nevertheless, there was still a slight flutter in her stomach.

They went downstairs staying at least a foot apart and not daring to touch one another. In the dining room, half the house was gathered. Eri, Livia, Glitch, and Gavin's wife were not present, but the others were. DG glanced at Raw and Assun. There was a blush fading from Assun's cheeks. She remembered the day they'd visited the farmer. It couldn't be.

"DG," Assun said bouncing up. "Are you feeling better?" She walked over, "Livia and Eri are still in bed, and Glitch is keeping an eye on the road." Somewhat awkwardly, Assun gave her a hug. DG patted her back.

"I'm fine. Ready to recover our magic?" Assun shifted nervously but nodded. When she was serious, the girl looked years older, but the longer she spent in DG's company, the more she seemed to act her age. It was almost like having a little sister. DG wrapped an arm around the younger girl's shoulders.

Raw stood up and pulled the chain holding the emerald over his head. Gavin and Assun gave him shocked looks; DG thought Assun's expression looked a bit betrayed. Was Raw embarrassed? Again, that strange suspicion crept up in her mind. Couldn't be. He walked up to DG, "Raw kept safe. DG should have back; might help with getting magic back."

"Thanks Raw," she said smiling and took the chain. She slipped it over her neck, and the moment the emerald touched her skin the world went black.

She opened her eyes and saw the ceiling. She was lying on her back. "What?" she managed; her voice was eerily normal.

Cain appeared a moment later. Worry was etched in every inch of his face, "DG?" he asked softly. His hand cupped the side of her face.

"Hey Wyatt, I think I got my magic back," she said without attempting to sit up. It felt like a giant generator had somehow squeezed its way into her body and was pumping out the equivalent power of a massive thunderstorm, so every nerve in her body buzzed. At the same time, she felt pinned to the floor by the weight of her new magic. It was strange, and staying perfectly still seemed like an excellent idea.

"I know," he said calmly though the worry was still evident.

"You know?" she asked. Why was her voice this steady?

Glitch's head appeared over Cain's shoulder. "DG, you were glowing like a third sun."

"Oh." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Assun backed against the wall biting her lower lip. Before she could say anything to the younger woman, several things happened.

Gavin strode into the room looking ashamed and startled. "I'm sorry. I had to tell him. He's been so worried about her, and when the slippers went missing, he – " A man walked into the room behind Gavin. He couldn't have been more than a few years older than Cain and bore a striking resemblance to Assun. DG turned to the girl. White-faced and shaking, Assun stared at her father.

"Susan," he said gently, uncertainly.

A shudder passed through the girl, and she sprang forward toward the table reaching for the bag where Cain had left the slippers last night. She threw it opened to reveal the dull black shoes, and one thought pounded through DG's brain. "Assun, no!"

The slipper blazed silver the moment the girl touched them, and half a heartbeat later, Assun out-shown them.


	24. Chapter 24

You know what I love about this chapter, I get to use the word flotilla which like googolplex, interregnum, and floccinaucinihilipilification is a fun word you just never get to use in normal conversation.

Thanks for the reviews and enjoy.

* * *

Staying down might have been advisable before, but, when Assun lit up like a million watt candle, DG shot up ninety degrees without transition. When she had woken up, there had been three voices in her head. One was familiarly her own, but the other two belonged to Glinda and Ava, the good witch and the original ruler of the O.Z. whose powers had been locked inside the emerald. The echo of their voices, thoughts, and memories hung in her mind like a massive encyclopedia containing every spell and recollection the two women knew. It was a dizzying flotilla of knowledge. The emerald was gone, and her magic tingled on the surface of her skin barely damming the power that had lain trapped inside the precious stone so long. When held by a witch, the emerald amplified power. When held by a witch whose powers had been locked away, the emerald supplied power and unlocked _everything_ that had been locked away. Staring at the slowing dimming Assun, DG knew with terrifying certainty who she'd be facing when the light died.

"Wyatt, Glitch, get everyone out of here," she turned to face the two men and prayed they'd listen.

"DG?" Cain asked his eyes shifting between her and Assun.

"Now!" she said and flung a spell at them. It slid all five men across the floor to the door. They tumbled out, and she slammed and locked the door. It vibrated a moment later when several fists began pounding on it.

She let her gaze linger on it a moment before a voice spoke behind her. "Hello, Dorothy." The room had stopped blazing with light, and when she turned, Assun stood facing her ramrod straight with eyes glistening. There was malice, hatred, and a promise of death in those eyes. "Are you going to drop a house on me too?" The voice was so sugary sweet it made her cringe.

DG braced herself and said in a deadly calm voice, "Let's take this elsewhere." The witch's eyes flickered to the shaking door and back to DG. One side of her mouth turned up in a smile. She slammed her hands together in a clap.

DG blinked. The light was unbearable, but the heat was worse. They were in the Desert. Sand whipped around her ankle, and her throat burned every time she inhaled. In front of her, the witch looked relaxed and at home. She was smiling broadly now. "This is my creation," she said spinning around to indicate the miles of sand. "My sister thought eternal darkness was the answer because she never understood the potential of light. Things can grow and live in the dark. Creatures can thrive in it, but in the blistering light and heat, life is burned away. Nothing survives here; even the air is sucked dry. And when night finally comes, all it can bring is a frozen darkness."

As the witch spoke, DG let power gather at her fingertips and saw them spark; she wasn't used to having so much magic. Thoughts from the dead women curled into the forefront of her brain and whispered suggestions. At the small shower of sparks, the witch's smile turned to a scowl.

"A hundred years!" she snarled. "A hundred years for a tiny mistake and they celebrated that girl as a heroine. For doing nothing more than surviving a fall. Then her whore granddaughter and that wretch of a doctor sealed _me_ away and used my power as their plaything. I endured three centuries of being silenced and ignored by a line of simpering, weak-willed women. I'll burn them all!"

"No, you won't," DG said flatly. She'd been able to focus her light properly by now.

"Why not?" She snapped, "you hate them. They tried to kill you, and they would have torn your lover apart if they'd had the chance."

"Killing them won't solve anything."

"It will make me happy," she bit out. The witch considered her, "Go back to the O.Z., little princess. Take your friends with you. My escape was made possible by your efforts, so I'll give you an annual as thanks. Roll in the sheets will your lover, have a screaming babe, enjoy an annual of bliss with those you hold dear. Spit on my idiot sister's grave if you want. I'll give you a holiday while I exterminate IX before I come for you. It's an excellent offer."

"No," DG shivered. The sorceress had had Az's power, but everyone kept telling her she was stronger than her sister. This witch had her own power, the stolen powers of a dozen witches, and Susan's power. Even DG's flood of new magic might not be enough. She hadn't said goodbye to anyone, not her to family, not to her friends, not to Cain. She straightened and demanded, "Let Assun go."

The witch smiled again, "No," and then fire swept through DG's veins. Panting and gritting her teeth, she pulled a spell out of her newly acquired memories. The witch bent double with pain, and the ends of her fingers began to frost up. She gathered a ball of energy in her palm and threw it at DG who flung up her arm to deflect it. The blast slid away but left a sizzling burn down her arm. DG threw a series of energy balls back. The attacks started. They tore across the sand, whipped across the two women's bodies, and pulsed inside them. After nearly an hour, both women were bleeding, panting, and struggling to stay upright.

Using a fire whip to stun her opponent, DG ran forward and tackled the still dazed witch to the ground. Her opponent snapped out curses and employed a spell that rained a million paper cuts across every inch of DG's body. Gritting her teeth and trying desperately to complete a sealing spell, DG screamed, "Wake up Assun! It's your body; it's your life. Don't let her beat you."

"Get off me, you wretch!" the witch screeched. She sent a wave of fire over DG that singed both of them.

DG punched her. The witch stared at her. She threw a force spell at the woman which sunk them several inches deeper into the sand then punched the witch again. "Fight back Assun! Prove you're stronger than she is!"

The witch kicked her off and threw an energy ball which sent her rolling backwards across the sand. The witch raced to her another blast in hand and grabbed her shirt. DG pulled up a blast of her own. The witch reached back to throw. DG copied her and then her opponent's eyes flickered.

Assun shook her head and stared at DG. Before the witch could take over again,

DG dug through her memories, found a separation spell, and hit Assun with it. The younger woman went rolling, and one body became two. One was the badly wounded Assun, and the other wore the tattered black robe just as her sister had. DG held up an energy ball, but before she could throw it, another slammed into the witch followed by another and another.

Assun, shaking and still on her knees, was pelting the witch with ball upon ball of light, her face distorted in rage. The black-clad figure screamed several times, fell to the floor, and stopped moving. The rain of blows continued. DG scrambled to Assun and wrapped her arms around the girl. "Enough," another blow, "Enough!" The girl's body started to shake. DG pulled her into an embrace and laid her cheek on top of the girl's head. "Shh, shh," she whispered to the shaking girl she held, "it's over; she's gone." She could feel Assun's tears seeping through her shirt. The witch's body dissolved and swirled away with the sand. Every inch of DG was in pain. The wounds from the battle burned. The heat burned. The sand slid into her open cuts and burned.

Assun was still sobbing uncontrollably, so DG dug in her memories for something, anything that could take them back. She found a bubble.


	25. Chapter 25

They appeared in the courtyard in front of Gavin's house. Everyone who had stayed the night was there. Assun's father was there. A large collection of Tipps, minus Veren and Felice, was there along with what seemed like half the town.

She found Cain. He was standing next to Raw and Eri, and he was looking at her in shock and something akin to horror. She realized why a moment later. Still clutching Assun, she was floating two feet above the ground in an iridescent bubble, and she was wearing a pink frilly dress. Oh god. Assun's attire more or less matched hers except that it was white. Part of her brain told her she was wearing makeup too, and the lancing pain across and throughout her body told her that she was still injured. The bubble popped, and they fell in a heap on the ground.

They were surrounded instantly. She was alive, and she was in Cain's arms. If only she didn't throb everywhere he touched her, this would be ideal. He chanted her name into her ear like a mantra as he held her and broke it only to call for Raw a few times. Around them were a cacophony of sounds and a sea of blurry faces, but her tin man provided a small barrier.

Several minutes passed before Raw came and pulled her out of Cain's embrace. He put a hand on each shoulder and closed his eyes. As the warmth and relief spread through her, she let her weight sink into the ground. When Raw had finished, he moved off, and Cain had her back in his arms instantly. She wrapped two heavy arms around his back. God, she was exhausted.

"You disappeared on me again," he said, a relieved accusation.

She spoke into his ear. "You said you wouldn't watch me die." He stiffened, "Stop it, Wyatt," she said gently, "let me finish. You said you wouldn't watch me die; I won't watch you die either. I won't watch Glitch or Raw die, and as brave and helpful as you all are, you don't belong in a magic fight. You'd throw yourselves as shields in front of me, and it would rip my heart out."

He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. "I thought I might lose you."

She smiled. "Have a little faith, Tin Man. I told you, you're stuck with me for life, and since I probably won't be strong enough to walk for the next few days, I'm placing myself entirely in yours hands."

He chuckled, "I can do anything to you then." She groaned; that had been deliberate. The man was evil. He laughed and kissed her, and that drove away all thoughts of the crowd and replaced them with delicious impulses. She wrapped one hand around his neck as the fingers of her other hand spread through his short hair. Her tongue parted his lips and dipped inside as one of his hands ran up her back. The other clutched at her hip and tightened rhythmically.

A hand tapped her on the shoulder. She ignored it. It tapped again, and someone cleared their throat behind them. She pulled out of the kiss reluctantly and turned her head to look at Glitch. "Perhaps you love birds could continue this inside later when you don't have an audience. Right now, I think story time is in order."

She blushed a deep red, snatched the fedora off Cain's head, and crushed it down over her own. It worked for ostriches. He chuckled again and helped her to her feet. She collapsed into his arms. No standing up then, so Cain lifted her bridal style and followed Glitch into the house.

They were joined by about thirty people. The congregation was gathered in the parlor with Gavin and Eri standing like twin sentinels at the door, Assun stretched out across one sofa with her head in Raw's lap, DG copying her on another sofa with Cain, and Glitch, Livia, and Gavin's wife in the remaining armchairs. Assun's father was standing behind the sofa his daughter lay on while several Tipps and members of what seemed to be the city council sat and stood throughout the room.

The stories went on for several hours, and by the end, Cain had to shake DG every few minutes to keep her awake. Gavin had told Adrian, Assun's father, about DG, her friends, and their quest, when he had found the slippers missing. He came in search of his daughter: to apologize to her and help if he could. He seemed earnest, and Assun waved a hand at him that seemed to relay forgiveness. It was hard to tell though since she also seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness.

When DG had locked them outside, Adrian had very quickly explained what the talismans did when held by a witch whose powers had been locked away. Cain shot the door open before he had time to finish. When they found the room empty, Raw attacked Adrian. The older man was still sporting a black eye. Evidently Glitch had pulled the viewer back to demand Adrian tell them what had happened, but Cain had guessed by then that the battle had been moved elsewhere.

In the hour that followed, various declarations were made by several of the men to seek out the two women. Glitch and Eri had shot each of these down by calmly explaining that they had no idea where to look or how to help, so the men had stewed, grumbled, and worried until the Tipps and townspeople arrived to issue a formal apology to the princess of the O.Z. This had started a long and many-faceted verbal war. Glitch in full Ambrose mode and with a good deal of help from Eri had talked everyone into a tentative truce as they waited for some sign of the two women.

And then DG had popped into view holding Assun looking like the sugarplum fairy carrying her assistant, and _that_ had stunned the crowd into silence. Their appearance was made worse by their injuries which started turning Assun's gown pink and DG's red. Sadly, DG was still in the pink confection. Well, she could change that. Exhaustion and the weight of her new powers weighed her down, but the buzz of magic was still there. She concentrated. Her clothes shimmered and shifted into a white tank top and blue jeans. She left her feet bare. Several people gasped. She glanced over at Assun and put the girl in a long skirt and loose fitting blouse.

Looking up, she gave Cain a tiny chuckle and watched his eyes close as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Assun hadn't moved in several minutes, so DG turned her head to the group and explained briefly what had happened when she had touched the emerald and Assun had touched the slippers. She gave almost no details about the battle but told everyone that the witch was most definitely dead.

"Is Assun without magic now?" Livia asked; she had joined Eri at the door.

"No," DG said, "I think she is only without the witch's power. The slippers" (which a small part of her brain told her Assun was still wearing) "gave her back the Gale magic that had been trapped inside them. When she was separated from the witch, she was separated from the witch's power as well. I'm not sure about the powers of the other witches though, so we won't know till Assun wakes up."

Raw was stroking the girl's hair. "Will not know for awhile. Assun very tired, will sleep some time."

"And so should you," Cain said picking DG up. She didn't have the energy to protest.

"Just a moment, please, Mister Cain," Yvene said laying a hand on his shoulder. Though her face was kept carefully blank, her eyes looked weary and sad. She looked down at DG, "What my grandchildren did to you and," she looked over at Assun, "my granddaughter was inexcusable." Taking a slow breath, she continued, "I am ashamed, and my family and I are in your debt. It seems all of IX is as well." She gave DG a placating look that begged for a response.

A man who Cain quietly explained was the mayor came forward, "How can we express our gratitude?"

"Can I sleep for a week?" DG asked quite seriously. Cain smirked. Raw gave a rumbling chuckle, and Glitch half smiled. The mayor looked shocked.

"There must be something more," he said desperately.

"How about locking up those loony siblings who tried to kill my wife?" Cain asked. DG's heart stopped. She stared up at Cain then over to Glitch for verification. He just said wife right, but Glitch was staring at Cain with an unreadable expression.

It was Yvene who answered, "They will have no further opportunities to harm anyone." The sadness of her response brought DG out of her giddy reverie. Yvene had loved Veren and Felice. They had been her favorites, and she had been forced to see them for what they were and to reprimand them for it. Had they been killed or merely locked away? Now, the lady's least favorite descendants were heroes, and she owed them thanks and gratitude. That had to be painful in so many ways.

"Thank you," she said to the woman and laid a hand on her arm. A tear slid down Yvene's face and she bowed and left. The Tipps followed her.

DG turned a tired smile on the mayor, "I guess we just want sleep then." He still looked shocked, but the man finally shook his head laughing lightly and walked out. The other city council members followed him.

Cain walked to the stairs. Before he climbed the first step, Glitch asked from behind them, "Wife?"

* * *

Tehe. Yes, he said wife.

DG's dress and mode of transport in this chapter are my tribute to The Wizard of Oz movie and the musical Wicked.

Elphalba to Glinda, "Well, we can't all come and go by _bubble!"_

Glinda to Elphalba, "I will now transform your frock into a magnificent ball gown. . . . Ball gown! . . . Ball gown!...Hello? Is this thing on?"

Some styles should stay out of fashion.


	26. Chapter 26

She could bash Glitch over the head right now; he was ruining a wonderful moment.

Cain turned, his jaw set, "She already said yes, and I carried her across a threshold. We'll take care of the legality when we get back to the O.Z." Her mind erupted in sparkles. It had been a proposal! He wanted to marry her. She smiled happily ignoring the exhaustion and not caring that they were discussing her as if she weren't there.

Glitch raised an eyebrow, "If her father doesn't kill you, you do realize that you'll be the next royal consort."

"Yes."

"Just wanted to be sure," Glitch looked down at DG. She beamed at him. "Doll, may I request to act as your royal advisor as I did for your mother. The idea of the two of you ruling the O.Z. without guidance is terrifying." Her smile broadened. Life was fantastic. She'd probably be queen, but she'd just received assurance from two of the dearest people to her that they'd stay by her for the rest of her life. Speaking of friends . . . She glanced over to where Raw and Assun were still sitting, or in Assun's case lying down. She looked back up at Glitch, pointed up the stairs, and crooked her finger at him conspiratorially. Come upstairs, she mimed.

Cain carried her up; Glitch followed. Since the others were unlikely to hear them up here, she asked, "Glitch, is it possible . . . is it possible?"

"Most things in the universe are possible," he said grinning.

She glared at him. "No, is it possible for a human and a viewer to, uh, be romantically involved?" Glitch looked at her in shock; Cain stiffened.

"It's never really been an issue before," Glitch said carefully, still confused, "we've proved that affection is possible, but if you mean physical intimacy, I, well, humans and viewers do have remarkably similar anatomical make-ups. The difference is primarily superficial and to a degree emotional and mental. There's also the difference in hair quantity"

"So, that's a yes?" DG asked to be certain.

"I suppose," Glitch answered hesitantly, "why do you ask?"

"I think Assun might be crushing on Raw."

"Crushing?" Cain asked.

DG sighed, "Having feelings of a romantic nature. And I think he's sweet on her too." The blank looks she was receiving weren't in response to the Otherside terminology. "You haven't noticed the blushes or the tentative compliments? He healed her first and only left her long enough to heal me." They were still staring at her, so she tried again. "She's sleeping in his lap downstairs, and he's stroking her hair."

The two men looked at each other. "Raw's very affectionate," Glitch offered as an excuse.

"The furball's probably soothing her emotions. She had a rough childhood, and she was just possessed by the witch," Cain added.

"He never did that to me!" she said in exasperation.

"Cain would have shot him if he'd tried it," Glitch smirked.

Huffing, DG remarked, "He didn't do it to Az."

"Glitch would have rewired his brain," Cain shot back.

"That's silly," DG rolled her eyes and stiffened, "Wait, what?"

"You're speculating Tin Man; obviously spending too much time with DG has short-circuited your neurons," Glitch said defensively.

"So the day you asked her for a travel storm was the first time she magicked you into her rooms from Central City in the early morning hours?" Cain shot back. Glitch turned pink.

"You're in love with my sister?" DG asked. She smiled devilishly. Maybe Az didn't have as much alone time as she claimed. That did explain why Glitch had been at Finaqua to ask Az for help. Glitch stared at her in panic and opened his mouth to refute the claim. "I think it's wonderful. Az has such trouble sleeping at night."

Glitch's skin was cherry-colored now; DG was staring at him open-mouthed. "She does fear to sleep at night," he mumbled. "I just . . ."

"Provide a more pleasant alternative," DG grinned. The man looked ready to choke. "And she can sleep during the day while you work." He gulped. Cain was smirking. "Well, I'll make sure to congratulate Az when we get back, and I still say Raw and Assun are in love," she gave both men a pointed look. Cain grunted; Glitch rolled his eyes. "Fine, we'll argue about it later. Let's get to our rooms before this excitement wears off and I pass out in the hallway."

Glitch smiled in relief and said good night to them before disappearing into his room. Cain cradled her against him to free a hand for the doorknob. When they were inside, he set her on the bed and shook out his arms. "I like carrying you, Princess, but you get heavy after awhile."

She huffed at him. He smiled. She decided she liked his newfound grinning habit, so she forgave him for his last comment. He pulled off his duster and set it and his hat on a chair then crawled onto the bed. His fingers went to the button and zipper on her jeans. She didn't want to admit it, really, really didn't want to, but, "Wyatt, I'd love to be, but I'm not up to this at the moment." He gave her another grin and pulled the jeans off before starting on the buttons to his shirt.

When he was bare-chested, he said, "We're not going to do anything tonight but sleep. However, when you wake up rested, I'd prefer to have you already unclothed." She slammed her head into the pillow with a groan. He pulled off her shirt and then his boots and pants. Her bra and underwear came off last. He then pulled the covers down, slipped in beside her, and covered them both up. She was asleep within seconds.

* * *

I fear I may have overdosed on romance in this chapter. I hadn't even intended to give Glitch or Raw romantic relationships, but it kind of fell out that way. Still, I think it's cute.


	27. Chapter 27

I'm glad people aren't completely put out by Raw and Assun. I think its cute . . . as long as I don't think about the physical dynamics that relationship would entail. Their children would have interesting appearances. Either slightly, but not completely, furry or a viewer version of the werewolf syndrome.

* * *

She didn't sleep a week; she barely slept till morning. However, they didn't go downstairs till supper time. When she woke to find him still asleep, she tried to crawl out of bed only to be yanked back by her hips. She had the spell up before he even got her back against him. "Were you intending to leave, Sweetheart?" he whispered into her ear. She shuddered; God, she loved his voice when it went all deep and husky.

"You _were_ asleep," she answered in a half question turning to face him.

He moved on top of her and started nibbling her collar bone; it sent little bolts of lightning to her lower body. As his mouth made its way to her neck, he said, "My dreams woke me up."

Catching the teasing tone in his voice and trying to keep her thoughts from dissolving, she asked, "What were they about?" He chuckled against the base of her throat in response, and she felt that everywhere. She wrapped a leg around him and pulled him toward her.

He pulled back and pushed her hips down with his hands. She growled at him and tried again, but he wasn't letting her off the mattress. Smirking, he kissed gently, barely letting their lips touch. She glared and pulled him down for a real kiss, but he pulled back when her tongue tried to part his lips. Using one leg to keep her hips down, he used his arms to trap her upper body on the mattress and smiled down at her. He was playing with her, damn him.

Using the smallest spark of magic, she freed herself, wrapped her arms around his neck, and captured his mouth with her own. Her tongue slipped between his lips when he gasped in surprise, and she let her tongue and hands explore him as she felt him surrender and respond. She felt like she could touch every nerve in his body with that kiss, and yet when she stopped for a breath, he pulled back and stared down at her.

"What did you do?" he asked in shock.

Panic sliced through her at his expression, "I . . ."

"It was like kissing a lightning bolt," he continued still shocked.

Trembling beneath him now, she tried to get off the bed and flailed against him when he caught her arm. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said trying to scramble away.

He pinned her beneath him again and forced her to look at him, "Don't apologize, DG," he said a bit angrily. Then his eyes heated and darkened again, and his voice was husky when he asked, "Can you do it again?"

Her heart and her brain stopped instantly, and by the time she regained awareness, she already had her arms around his neck and her mouth pressed against his. He was kissing her back, and his hands feathered across her body as her magic buzzed on her skin. Everywhere he touched, her skin tingled. She leaned into the contact and felt her legs and arms spasm at the intensity of it. Her body felt so alive and aware, and she moaned at the sensations he was causing. His body jerked at the sound as his fingers and mouth moved with a new urgency.

He wrapped her legs around him, kissed her again, and entered her. Light glistened at the back of her eyes as he began to move. She pulled him closer to her so every inch of their bodies touched. The bolts of sensation started again, and from his groans, she knew he felt them too. They moved together, faster, deeper, closer, so when she came, he came with her.

For a moment, he just lay on top of her trying as she was to draw in enough breath. Her skin still buzzed lightly where it touched him. He moved slightly to the side and kissed her jaw. "Princess," he said in ragged breaths, "I think we need to find some more emeralds."

She laughed and turned to face him. He was smiling lazily at her with a quiet though growing hunger. She walked her fingers up his hip, "But that would mean stopping, and I'm not through with you yet."

By the time they made it out of bed, every inch of her smelled like Cain, and she loved it. He was able to get his pants on before she pounced on him, and he'd made such wonderful use of the wall. Sometime later, he decided the only way they'd get out of the room was if he dressed both of them. That had failed, and they'd wound up back in the bed. They slept through most of the afternoon, but stomachs had started to complain and ruin the mood toward evening. It hadn't helped that she'd started teasing him about his stomach growling first, and he'd glared at her and tried to stalk out of the room still naked. She'd laughed, and that had gotten her another icy glare and some delicious punishment.

As a result, they walked downstairs as the second sun was setting smiling foolishly at one another. Eri, Livia, Adrian, and Glitch were in the dining room. Gavin's wife brought in food for Cain and DG.

As they were eating, Livia began, "DG, we've been talking." She looked around at the others. Eri nodded encouragement, "I told you I thought the Tipps should live up to their name, and I think Assun and I should set an example. You pretended to be emissaries intent on establishing relations between the O.Z. and IX, but I think it should be done for real. Eri and I could be the first."

DG stopped eating to look at her, so did Cain. Livia continued, "We'd like to travel back with you to the O.Z. for a little while. To start a relationship between your family and mine. Though she hasn't declared it yet, I know Assun wants to go with you."

"And I'd like to go with her," Adrian added. "From what your advisor has told me, a lot of records especially about magic were lost during the sorceress' reign. I could help, and I've lost years with my daughter. If she had found the slippers without you being here, I . . ."

He's like Ahamo and Cain, DG thought. She, Assun, and Jeb grew up, and they had missed it. Jeb joked with her constantly, but around his father, he was tight-lipped, serious, or just awkward. Assun was the same way, so was she. "It's alright, I understand," she said. "I just got a boatload of memories from the emerald that included a lot of magic and history lessons, but it's tiring to sift through. We could use your help, and I think it will make Assun happy once she gets over her grudge."

She paused adnd added, "But we traveled here in a balloon. I don't think it will hold this many passengers, and my newly acquiring memories give the impression magic can't be use to cross the entire desert."

"I have a balloon," Adrian supplied. When DG gave him a questioning look, he shrugged and said, "Your father wasn't the only slipper to come over in one."

"You're a slipper?" DG asked shocked.

Eri laughed, "No, but Gavin and I are. We landed in IX after being caught in a nasty storm. We're from Oregon. Adrian helped us make a home here, so Gavin gave him the balloon as a gift."

"Wow," DG managed. Eri laughed again; Adrian joined him.

When the next morning arrived and neither Raw nor Assun had surfaced, Cain suggested they retrieve the balloon, so they'd be ready to leave when Assun was rested. The Tipps had been trickling in and out of the house for the last day, and when they learned about the emissary plan, one of Assun's second cousins volunteered to take her place in the village she'd been living. He was a young and somewhat nervous man, but he was also kind if a little proud.

They'd traveled by bubble, and to DG's embarrassment, the frilly clothes made another appearance. All three men had looked ridiculous in ruffly shirts and high heeled dress shoes, so she'd spent a moment fixing their clothes. Though the balloon only took minutes to prepare, Assun's cousin asked DG to take him around the village. This turned out to be a wise request. Since her departure, she'd become rather famous. So much for secrecy and freak miracles, she thought. She spent most of the day walking from farm to farm dishing out helpful magic and introducing Assun's replacement. Cain shadowed her while Glitch finished prepping the balloon. He landed them back at Gavin's house an hour after dark and minus one passenger.

They found Assun talking to her father in the study while Raw stood sentinel at the door. DG caught both Cain and Glitch's eyes. They studied the viewer a minute then went to get food. Both men kept their expressions blank. Assun looked uncomfortable but not ready to run. DG joined Raw at the door.

"So you slept rather late," she said smiling wickedly and nudging him.

"Raw keep watch over Assun. Make sure no nightmares." He said it so earnestly her jesting spirit disappeared.

"Did she have any?"

"One. Raw sooth," he said proudly.

She smiled softly. "Did you hear about our plan?" Raw nodded. "So I guess you'll be staying with us awhile." He looked at her. "I think Kalm will like her." His eyes widened in shock, so she gave him another smile before leaving to find food.

* * *

Two chapters to go. Leave a review; I love them.


	28. Chapter 28

It was another three days before they left. Most of the village was there for their departure, and several people from the surrounding towns had come as well. Glitch piloted her father's balloon as he had before, and she, Cain, and Eri rode in the basket with him. Livia, Assun, and Raw rode in the balloon with Adrian. It took only two days to reach her father. This was due in part to the fact that the current town he was visiting was much closer to the Desert, but it primarily resulted from DG's impatience. Still buzzing with magic and with access to the knowledge to use it, she kept calling up winds to speed up the trip. Cain had burst out laughing several times, and Eri and Glitch had reprimanded her. Wind was nice, but too much would throw them out of the baskets.

The villagers massed around their landing sight. Most stared up in awe at the arrival of not one but two balloons. Ahamo had made his way through the crowd. Seeing him, DG felt giddy. The emerald had unlocked _everything_. She hadn't even told Cain yet that that included her childhood memories. Her parents finally felt like her parents, and a wave of guilt had washed over her when she saw her father. Ahamo had been devoted to his daughters; she understood now how upset he really was that she couldn't remember him. Therefore, on impulse, she jumped out of the balloon the moment it landed and rushed toward him. He'd been shocked, and he just barely missed toppling over when she threw her arms around him. He had returned the hug tentatively at first and then fiercely when he realized she wasn't acting. It felt good to have a father again even though the sadness about Hank and Emily still lingered.

Though he managed to stay standing during her hug, he did hit the floor by the end of the night. DG decided to explain everything in one go, so in the space of a couple hours, he learned the truth about Airek and Susan, listened to her and her companions' interactions with the Tipps and DG's subsequent battles with Assun's cousins and the witch, gaped at her when she explained the disappearance of the emerald and the slippers, smiled at her recollection of a childhood memory, welcomed Livia and Assun into the family, and then fainted when she told him she was going to marry Cain. Perhaps that had been a bit much.

"Dad," she said shaking him gently after some of the men had carried him into a house. "You okay?"

He opened his eyes and smiled dreamily at her mutton chops glowing gold in the lamplight. "Lavie, I just had the strangest dream about DG," he said to her.

She shook him again harder and whined, "Dad."

His eyes focused and he sat up, "DG."

"Sorry about hitting you with all that. I didn't think you'd faint." She sat back on her heals.

Ahamo looked around the room and saw Cain standing in the corner. "You want to marry him?" he asked her; she couldn't read his face or tone.

"Yes," she said guardedly.

"What if you're mother and I refuse?" Again his tone was blank.

She frowned. "I'll forfeit my right to the crown and marry him anyway."

He gave her a pained smile, "You really are too much like your mother except she yelled, at an exceptionally loud volume no less, when she swore she'd marry me." He turned back to Cain, "I guess I'm welcoming you to the family, Mister Cain." Who called their future son-in-law Mister?

"Thanks," Cain said, expression unreadable. DG thought he sounded relieved though.

She wasn't ready for relief yet. "Would you have objected?" she asked.

Ahamo got to his feet and reached down a hand to help her up. His smile was less strained this time. "No. I thought this would happen. Your face lit up every time we met up with him; I just thought the proposal would take longer." He laughed at her expression, "You're very obvious about showing affection to the people you care about."

And until today, you weren't among them, she thought. An apology caught in her throat. She hugged him fiercely instead. He returned her embrace. "Its okay, Spitfire." He sucked in a breath, "Congratulations."

Though they weren't suppose to return to Finaqua until a week later, Ahamo decided they should come back early. Lavender Eyes handled the news much more calmly than her husband. Though she was not enthusiastic to hear of the engagement and her face went white and stiff, she hugged both her daughter and Cain by the end of the day, and she was utterly delighted with Assun.

After the meeting with her mother, DG had gone looking for Cain. She found him talking with his son. As was usual during their meetings, both men were shifting uncomfortably waiting for the appropriate moment to deliver some form of awkward affection which usually signaled the tentatively successful end of another bonding attempt. DG waltzed up to Jeb and wrapped her arms around him. He chuckled and returned the hug. "Alright Wyatt," she said twisting her face to the side so it rested on Jeb's chest, "you hug me now."

"Why?" the tin man snorted from behind her.

"Because I order you to as your future monarch," she said slowly in a voice used for the slow-witted.

From her position, she couldn't see Cain's reaction, but Jeb was chuckling.

After a moment, Cain walked up and embraced her which meant he had to hug Jeb too. "Dad," Jeb asked over her shoulder, "what's she up to now?"

Cain grunted, "Probably trying to be a family Soother." At this remark, both DG and Jeb started laughing. She could just feel the tin man's annoyance; it radiated off his chest into her back. While his son was still chuckling, she slipped out of the three-person hug. Jeb's laughter died. Cain pulled him into a tighter hug, and after a moment his son returned it. Patting him on the back, the tin man let go.

Jeb smiled at her as he joked to his father, "Good thing you're back. I won't be the main target of her affectionate attacks anymore."

"And I've signed up for them for life," Cain sighed in feigned exasperation.

His son jerked and went absolutely still. DG's hand clenched into a fist, and she started biting her lip. Oh no. Jeb looked from one to the other. His voice was a bit broken when he asked, "Are you . . . I . . . Do I have to call you Mom?"

"No," DG said hastily.

The younger Cain's shoulders slumped in relief. "Oh good. You're way too close to my age for that to ever be normal." DG started laughing. The tin man turned pink as he punched his son in the arm. The Commander of the royal guard bent over laughing, and DG wasn't much better. When they settled down enough to straighten up, Cain glared at both of them. His face was still red, and his jaw was twitching. Jeb turned to her, serious now, "So does that mean my half sister will be a princess?"

DG cocked her head at the question. She hadn't even thought about children yet. "If we have a girl, then yes."

At his confused expression, Cain told her, "Gale women only have daughters." Her mouth made an 'o' in surprise. Jeb smiled, and Cain hugged her from behind.

The story of their adventure permeated the O.Z. over the next few weeks, so people began to arrive at Finaqua to hear it confirmed and gawk at the Ixians. They gave them a wary welcome especially Assun who like Az suffered some prejudice from having been possessed by a witch.

DG was surprised to find her own popularity soaring though. The people of the O.Z. liked the idea of an extremely powerful benevolent ruler who had disposed of not only one ancient evil but two, and the rumors of her engagement to an ex tin man and resistance fighter were met with approval. He was a hero, and his son was a hero. People liked that; it felt safe. Unfortunately, her rising fame made her the unquestioned heir to the thrown. She'd been expecting it but had still hoped in her heart that Az would be chosen instead, and she had the sinking feeling that the circuit around the O.Z. with her father to help restore the towns would be her last real adventure.

Her friends laughed at her; they teased her about enjoying life-threatening fights with insane nobles and witches more than a peaceful day. At night Cain assured her that a queen's life wouldn't be boring. Well, she had been busy. She and Tutor were put in charge of training Assun to use her magic. She traveled almost every day to meet one official or another, and she'd spent the last two weeks setting up an official relationship with IX through Livia and Eri. The couple had left with the promise to return in a month. Life was busy, and things were peaceful even if they were filled with politics. It wasn't as painful as she'd imagined.


	29. Chapter 29

I felt the queen should make one appearance, and this felt like the right time.

I think I've managed to go the entire story without spelling Desert as Dessert which would have deserved a head bashing if I'd done it. Suddenly instead of miles of sand, you'd have a vat of something sugery which while appealing would kill the mood.

Last chapter, wow. Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

* * *

"My angel," Lavender Eyes came up beside her younger daughter, "there you are." She joined DG at the railing. They were at the ice palace for the next month until the wedding and coronation which would take place at Finaqua. The queen had explained that the two ceremonies should be done together, so the guests could be present at both without having to make two trips. "You've been out of sorts the last few days, DG. Is everything alright?"

No. "I don't really want to be queen." She hadn't meant to say that and bowed her head to hide the cringe and blush. She looked up when her mother laughed.

"You had given that impression," Lavender Eyes said smiling. "You were never very good at masking your emotions. However, you will make a wonderful queen, and I doubt any ancient evils will dare to surface during your reign."

"I'm sorry," DG said miserably.

"Are you still blaming yourself for what happened to your sister and the O.Z.?" she asked looking at her daughter who was staring at the floor. "I see you are, my angel, even faced with the reassurances of your loved ones. Before you let guilt wash over you, think for a moment what our lives would have been like had that day gone differently."

"I have thought about it," DG murmured dejectedly. She'd cried thinking about it.

Her mother laid a hand on her shoulder. "I wonder if you really have. I have acquired a third daughter who is enamored of a certain viewer who is now regarded as a hero by his kind rather than a coward. Sadly, I think that relationship will suffer some . . . difficulty from the people when they announce it publicly. But we shall see what the days bring.

"My stiff and formal though of course beloved advisor is telling jokes and sneaking into my eldest daughter's room." At this, DG's head snapped up. "My darling, I'm neither blind nor deaf, and your sister hides her emotions worse than you do." DG huffed.

Lavender Eyes continued, "The current commander of the palace guard is the youngest and most respected commander we've ever had, and you're marrying a man you're in love with rather than a suitor we picked for you. I must admit that is a relief; I disliked the idea of making a choice for you when I had been able to choose for myself."

"But everyone suffered because of my mistake," DG tried desperately. Why didn't anyone understand it was her fault?

"If you hadn't released the witch, another would have who may not have had a sister. You saved Azkadellia, and because of you, neither the witch nor her sister will ever be a threat again. The emerald of the eclipse which has lain hidden for centuries as a dangerous treasure can no longer be used against us." She stepped in front of her daughter and held her gaze, "It was not your mistakes alone that led to fifteen annuals of darkness, but that darkness has passed for good because of you. DG, you have the most powerful light in the O.Z. Do not be ashamed of it, and do not resent the loyalty your friends and your people give you. They are a blessing. Treat them as such."

"Thank you," she mumbled to the floor.

Her mother gave her a small smile. "Thank me by believing me." She turned and began walking away. "Oh, your tin man was looking for you, my darling," she added as she closed the door behind her.

DG huffed. If Cain was going to scold her for bungee jumping with the Eastern Guildsman, she was going to do . . . something impressive to show him how silly he was being. The Guildsman had asked her to after all; it wasn't like she had forced them. It had only been a casual suggestion. Well, maybe five. She found Cain leaning on her door.

"Hey Wyatt."

"Where were you off sulking this time?" he asked expression blank.

"I wasn't sulking," she answered darkly.

"Then you were wallowing in imagined guilt."

"I don't wallow." Was he trying to piss her off? Probably.

"No, you get anger and rush at people with a stick," humor glinted in his eyes.

Again with the stick. "I haven't done that since that since we found that stray group of Long Coats threatening those miners."

He suppressed a chuckle, "And you gave Jeb a black eye when he tried to pull you off their leader."

She growled, "And you took my place and started beating him."

"He injured your hand," Cain explained.

"Because I punched him too hard!"

"Still his fault for having a hard face," he replied without blinking. He pushed himself away from the door and opened it for her. "You really aren't feeling guilty?"

"Not anymore. Mother talked to me and forced me to feel better," she admitted.

He nodded, "Good. You have worse mood swings than a woman who's expecting." She walked through the open doorway.

"Really? I guess it's a good thing the wedding's only a month away then."

He stopped behind her. She turned. His breathing wasn't normal. "DG?" he choked out.

"Are you alright Wyatt?" she asked voice full of concern placing a hand on his shoulder.

"DG," he said sharply.

"I was going to tell you tonight; I only found out for certain this morning." She smiled at him innocently. His breathing was still irregular.

She was going to tease him about her needing to keep him on his toes, but he didn't give her the chance. He had her in his arms in a heartbeat, and his mouth was telling her how wonderful he thought she was. Alright, having this to look forward to for the rest of her life definitely counted as a blessing.

* * *

Thanks for reading.

Hope you enjoyed it; feel free to tell me what you think. Hope I haven't left any gaping loose ends.

I might do a short fic about their children since I think writing a story about DG's daughter would be fun, but I haven't decided.

Anyway, thanks again.

Beck Riley


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